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Detroit Lions DST

Player Outlook
The Lions DST should be avoided on draft day, as there are much safer options with more upside attached. While Detroit's offense remains one of the NFL's best, the defense struggled with consistency in 2025, allowing 24.3 points per game, which ranked near the bottom half of the league. The unit generated some production through splash plays, recording 39 sacks, 12 interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns, but it cannot be relied on as a starting option outside of matchup-based streaming.

Fantasy News

  • Terrion Arnold: Logs visit with Texans

    Rotowire
    Arnold (shoulder) visited with Houston on Thursday and took a physical, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Arnold has cleared waivers after being cut by Detroit in late June, and Schefter reports the third-year pro has two upcoming visits scheduled with NFL teams. The 2024 first-rounder appears healthy enough to sign with a new squad after having undergone shoulder surgery last December. Arnold is awaiting trial on felony kidnapping and robbery charges.
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  • Terrion Arnold: Let go by Detroit

    Rotowire
    Arnold (shoulder) was cut by the Lions on Monday. The news comes shortly after an Associated Press report that a Florida judge has set a $1 million bail in connection to Arnold's ongoing felony trial for charges of armed robbery and kidnapping. Arnold is unlikely to resume his NFL career until his legal proceedings conclude.
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  • Lions' Terrion Arnold: Appears at hearing

    Rotowire
    Arnold (shoulder), who faces felony charges of armed robbery and kidnapping, appeared at a hearing Thursday in Tampa, Fla., ESPN.com reports. Per the report, Arnold was ordered held without bail until a pretrial detention hearing, which is scheduled for Monday. In a statement, the Lions said they were aware of the cornerback's situation but declined to comment "out of respect for the ongoing legal process." Arnold, who the team selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, recorded 31 tackles and an interception while playing in eight games in 2025 before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
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  • Lions' Terrion Arnold: Arrested on multiple felony charges

    Rotowire
    Arnold (shoulder) was arrested Wednesday and is facing multiple felony counts of robbery and kidnapping, the Hillsborough County (Fla.) State Attorney's Office announced. The announcement also noted that Arnold's charges carry a potential sentence of up to life in prison after the cornerback was allegedly the primary conspirator of an elaborate armed robbery and kidnapping plot that happened earlier in the offseason. The 23-year-old was the No. 24 overall pick in the 2024 Draft and has started 22 regular-season games across his first two seasons. He missed the final five games last season with a shoulder injury that required surgery.
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  • Lions' Brian Branch: Unlikely to return during offseason

    Rotowire
    Branch (Achilles) will most likely remain on the sideline until training camp at the earliest, Eric Woodyard of ESPN reports. The safety tore his ACL in Week 14 of the 2025 campaign, and while he's on track in his recovery, he has not recovered just yet, per Woodyard. It's also possible that Branch opens the 2026 campaign on the physically unable to perform list, according to Woodyard, citing Lions coach Dan Campbell. Branch recorded 75 tackles (48 solo) and nine pass breakups in 12 games last year.
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  • Lions' Kerby Joseph: Timeline for return still blurry

    Rotowire
    Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that the Lions don't expect to know until training camp what their expectations for Joseph (knee) will be for 2026, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic reports. Joseph sat out all of Detroit's last 13 games in 2025 due to a lingering knee injury, and he's apparently still not in shape for football activities with OTAs in progress. As long as he remains unavailable, veteran free agent acquisition Chuck Clark could see more opportunities to work with the first team.
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  • Giants' DJ Reader: Signs two-year deal with G-Men

    Rotowire
    The Giants agreed to terms with Reader on a two-year, $12.5 million contract Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Reader can earn an additional $3 million via incentives. The veteran defensive lineman will turn 32 years old this summer but started all 17 regular-season games with the Lions last season. Reader failed to record a sack in 2025, finishing with 28 tackles (11 solo) while playing 53 percent of the defensive snaps. Reader will help offset the loss of Dexter Lawrence in the middle of the Giants' defensive front.
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  • Lions' Jack Campbell: Fifth-year option declined

    Rotowire
    The Lions declined Campbell's fifth-year option Tuesday, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports. Campbell is coming off the most productive season of his career, logging 176 tackles (89 solo), including 5.0 sacks, but that seemingly wasn't enough to convince Detroit to exercise his option. The 25-year-old will now play out the final year of his rookie deal during the 2026 campaign and look to earn a contract extension.
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  • Lions' Tyre West: Picked up by Lions

    Rotowire
    Detroit selected West in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 222nd overall. West spent his entire four-year college career in Tennessee, and while he wasn't a consistent starter on defense for the Volunteers, he did see his playing time steadily increase. He finished the 2025 season with 23 total tackles, including 4.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defense across 12 games. West primarily operated as an edge rusher in college but would also line up in a three-point stance on the interior defensive line. The latter position could be his calling card in the NFL, given his shorter stature (6-foot-2, 283-pound frame).
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  • Lions' Skyler Gill-Howard: Finds home in Detroit

    Rotowire
    The Lions selected Gill-Howard in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 205th overall Gill-Howard doesn't boast a lengthy resume, playing three seasons at Northern Illinois (only one start) before transferring to Texas Tech in 2025, where he started the first six games before an ankle injury prematurely ended his campaign. Gill-Howard's measurables (6-foot-1, 280 pounds), arm length and hand size are underwhelming for his position, but he's athletic for his frame and has developed an array of rushing moves. He's also willing to be physical in the running game. He'll slot in as a depth option for the Lions and will aim to overcome his size limitations at the next level.
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  • Lions' Avonte Maddox: Back with Lions

    Rotowire
    Detroit re-signed Maddox on Monday. Maddox spent last season with the Lions, and in 2026 he figures to bolster the team's depth at safety. The veteran began the 2025 campaign in a reserve role but finished the year as a starter due to injury attrition at the position. With starting strong safety Brian Branch in recovery mode from a torn Achilles that he suffered in early December, Maddox could be a fantasy-relevant option in IDP formats to begin 2026.
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  • Lions' Chuck Clark: Lands with Lions

    Rotowire
    Detroit signed Clark to a contract on Tuesday. Clark spent last year with the Steelers, totaling 51 tackles (31 solo), three pass defenses and one forced fumble across 15 regular-season appearances. That marked the veteran safety's lowest tackle total since 2018, and he also took a step backward in terms of pass coverage. He now stands to handle a rotational role with the Lions behind starting safeties Brian Branch (Achilles) and Kerby Joseph (knee).
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  • Browns' Daniel Thomas: Signs with Cleveland

    Rotowire
    The Browns signed Thomas on Friday. The 27-year-old safety has appeared in 83 career regular-season games, including six starts, but has mainly worked on special teams. Thomas logged 23 tackles (10 solo) and one pass breakup across 12 appearances with the Lions last season.
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  • Lions' Myles Adams: Back with Detroit

    Rotowire
    The Lions re-signed Adams on Thursday. Adams spent the entire 2025 season on Detroit's practice squad after he failed to make the 53-man roster out of training camp. The 28-year-old has appeared in 30 career regular-season contests, notching 34 tackles (12 solo), including 2.0 sacks, and one pass breakup.
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  • Rams' Grant Stuard: Inks deal with Los Angeles

    Rotowire
    The Rams signed Stuard to a two-year contract worth up to $5.05 million Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. The 27-year-old linebacker is a foundational piece on special teams, which was a major area of struggle for the Rams last season. Only 12 players logged more snaps on special teams last season than Stuard, who finished with 19 tackles (six solo) across 17 regular-season contests.
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  • Buccaneers' Al-Quadin Muhammad: Signs with Tampa Bay

    Rotowire
    The Bucs signed Muhammad to a one-year contract worth up to $6 million Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Muhammad turns 31 years old later this month and is coming off a career year with the Lions. He appeared in all 17 regular-season games and finished with 25 tackles (15 solo), including a by-far career-best 11.0 sacks, on just 41 percent of the defensive snaps. Seeing all one-on-one matchups working opposite Aidan Hutchinson certainly worked in Muhammad's favor, and he'll try to build on the big output with Tampa Bay alongside Yaya Diaby.
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  • Josh Paschal: Dumped by Detroit

    Rotowire
    The Lions released Paschal (back) on Wednesday. The move clears close to $1.8 million for Detroit. The 26-year-old Paschal missed the entire 2025 campaign with a back injury after appearing in 14 regular-season games the previous season. Paschal has 5.0 career sacks across 36 regular-season contests.
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  • Cowboys' Tyrus Wheat: Staying in Dallas

    Rotowire
    Wheat is slated to sign a one-year deal with the Cowboys, Jane Slater of NFL.com reports. Wheat is in a similar position to 2025, when he signed a one-year contract with the Cowboys as an exclusive-rights free agent. As an unrestricted free agent, the defensive end has decided to stay in Dallas once again. The 26-year-old likely will maintain his role as a depth piece for the defensive line as well as a consistent special-teams contributor.
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  • Lions' Rock Ya-Sin: Re-ups with Lions

    Rotowire
    Ya-Sin is in line to sign a one-year, $4 million contract with the Lions on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Ya-Sin briefly tested the market but chose to return to the Lions instead of heading to his sixth team in six years. The 2019 second-round pick was a dependable corner for the Lions in 2025, handling 35.6 defensive snaps per game while recording 47 tackles and nine pass breakups through 17 games. The current terms of his contract likely mean he's headed for a similar role in 2026.
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  • Lions' Malcolm Rodriguez: Staying with Detriot

    Rotowire
    Rodriguez agreed to a contract with the Lions on Tuesday, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic reports. Rodriguez played in just seven games for the Lions during the 2025 season after opening the campaign on the reserve/PUP list following a November 2024 ACL tear. Rodriguez was primarily eased back in on special teams, logging just 70 defensive snaps. The 26-year-old could fill a similar role in 2026, although a more extensive role is possible now that Rodriguez is well over a year removed from his injury.
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