Posted by Scot Berggren
Wednesday, August 1, 2018 - 5:48pm
Fantasy Upside
For the seventh straight season, Matthew Stafford not only didn’t miss a game, but he also threw for at least 4,200 yards. He remains the model of consistency, averaging 39 attempts per game and 28 TD tosses per season during the seven-year span. Even as the Lions tried to establish more of a balanced attack in 2017, Stafford still put the ball in the air 35 times for an average of 278 yards per contest. Only once last year did he pass for fewer than 200 yards.
Fantasy Downside
The running game continues to be non-productive for the Lions, which puts added pressure on Stafford. His 565 pass attempts last season were a career-low in seasons he played a full 16 games. He has thrown for more than 30 TDs just once in the past five years.
2018 Bottom Line
Stafford continues to be surrounded by weapons, including WRs Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, and Kenny Golladay, as well as RBs Theo Riddick and rookie Kerryon Johnson. Despite drafting Johnson in the second round and being focused on establishing a rushing attack, Detroit’s offense runs through Stafford’s arm. Since the Lions are rarely in the playoffs, their QB doesn’t get a lot of national attention, but he is one of the league’s best and you can pretty much count on him posting similar numbers to what he’s produced throughout his career.