Week 10 at Chicago Bears
Matthew Stafford was held to less than 200 passing yards last week by the Vikings, with Luke Willson posting two grabs for 17 yards. There must be a better option for your fantasy team at TE, even with the bye weeks continuing.
Week 9 at Minnesota Vikings
With Matthew Stafford throwing 40 passes last Sunday versus Seattle, Luke Willson saw four targets. While he finished with a season-high of three catches and 21 yards, Willson has only nine grabs in his first year with the Lions. There has to be a better option for your starting fantasy TE.
Week 7 at Miami Dolphins
During the first five games of the season, Luke Willson has caught four passes for 29 yards. There is no reason for him to be taking up a fantasy roster spot.
Week 5 vs. Green Bay Packers
In his first month with Detroit, Luke Willson grabbed four passes for 29 yards. He should not be wasting a fantasy roster spot at this time.
Week 4 at Dallas Cowboys
There is no reason for Luke Willson to be on a fantasy roster. With Matthew Stafford throwing the ball 36 times in the win versus New England last week, Willson saw three looks, leading to two receptions for 10 yards.
Week 3 vs. New England Patriots
Against the 49ers last Sunday, Luke Willson got the start and played on 52 percent of the snaps, compared to 29 percent for Levine Toilolo and just seven total snaps for Michael Roberts. While Willson finished with a 13-yard reception on his only look from Matthew Stafford, it was Roberts who collected a 15-yard TD. Right now no Lions tight end is even worthy of a fantasy roster spot.
Week 2 at San Francisco 49ers
In his first game with the Lions last Monday, Luke Willson did not receive a target, despite Detroit quarterbacks throwing the ball 52 times. Right now, there are better tight end options to have on your roster.
Week 1 vs. New York Jets
Eric Ebron grabbed 53 passes and scored four times last season as the Lions' starting TE. Matthew Stafford has plenty of weapons and does a good job of spreading the ball around, including over 100 targets to his tight ends in 2017. Luke Willson was behind Jimmy Graham in Seattle but he will be the starter for Detroit. It’s advised you keep him on your bench in Week 1, however, as there are plenty of better TE options.
Fantasy Upside
Now that he’s out of the shadows of being a second stringer in Seattle, Luke Willson gets to show what he can do as the starter in Detroit after the team surprisingly waived Eric Ebron. Willson scored a career-high four times last season, on just 15 receptions. He has been a touchdown maker during his five-year career, with 11 of his 89 grabs going for scores. At 6-foot-5, he will become a friend of Matthew Stafford’s, especially in the red zone.
Fantasy Downside
While he’s caught at least 15 passes in every season of his career to date, Willson’s season-high in receptions is just 22. He’s not known to be much of a run blocker, so in order to stay on the field, he’ll need to produce in the passing game. After Week 3 in 2017, Willson caught just nine balls.
2018 Bottom Line
Matthew Stafford likes to spread the ball around, which includes throwing to his TEs. Ebron caught over 50 passes and posted 10 total TDs the past three years, so there’s potential for Willson to have a breakout season. While he could become a threat in the red zone, there are just too many athletic options for Stafford, making Willson a TE2 option for any fantasy roster.
Week 15 vs Cleveland
With Jimmy Graham out, Luke Willson could see the ball come his way more. The fact that the Seattle passing game is clicking puts Willson on the fantasy map, but not enough for a start this week.
