Lions' Brandon Powell: Could get regular slot work

Powell may get playing time in the slot during the second half of the season after Golden Tate was traded to Philadelphia on Tuesday, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Fifth-year pro TJ Jones may seem like the most obvious choice to replace Tate in the three-receiver formations that dominate Detroit's offense, but Powell also has a chance to pick up some of the slack. The undrafted rookie out of Florida has been groomed specifically for slot work, and he was actually activated over Jones in Sunday's 28-14 loss to Seattle. The decision to play Powell over Jones may have primarily been motivated by special teams, but it can still be taken as a sign of the team's confidence in the rookie. Regardless of how the situation plays out, Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones will be the more fantasy-relevant beneficiaries of added target volume in Tate's absence.