Week 2 at New York Giants
Matthew Stafford threw four scores last week in the team's opener versus Arizona; however, Golden Tate was held out of the end zone. Owners should not feel too bad, though, as Tate led the Lions with 12 targets, resulting in 10 grabs for 107 yards. He also had 2 rushes for 7 yards. It’s clear the coaching staff and Stafford want to get the ball in Tate’s hands as often as possible. He should remain in your starting lineup for the Monday night affair with the Giants.
Week 1 vs. Arizona Cardinals
With the emergence of rookie Kenny Golladay, Golden Tate will likely move to the slot position at some point during the season. However, for the opener, expect to see Tate lined up on the outside, opposite of Marvin Jones. He has caught at least 90 passes in all three of his seasons with Detroit and should have another good year in store, regardless of where he lines up. Tate and Matthew Stafford have built a great rapport over the years and should have a good game on Sunday. Go ahead and start the former Notre Damer.
Fantasy Upside
Despite getting off to a slow start last season, Golden Tate would record a team-high 91 catches for over 1,000 yards and four TDs. In his first three seasons with the Lions, Tate has not missed a game, averaging 93 receptions and totaling over 3,200 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Fantasy Downside
During the first five weeks last season, Tate was held out of the end zone and totaled only 17 grabs. While he received double-digit targets seven times in 2016, he finished with just three 100-yard games (one during the first 10 contests). In the 10 games Theo Riddick was active last year, Tate's targets took a considerable hit –- 10.3 in games Riddick missed versus just 7.3 when he was on the field.
2017 Bottom Line
Even though he turned 29 at the beginning of the preseason, Tate still has breakaway speed and the quickness to make defenders miss. He and Matthew Stafford have a good rapport, so look for him to have another solid season, where he should once again eclipse 90 catches with a handful of touchdowns.
Wild Card Round at Seattle
After a slow start to the ’16 season, Golden Tate finished with a team-high 91 receptions for over 1,000 yards and also scored four times. He was definitely the Lions most consistent pass catcher over the second half of the year. While the Seahawks allow just 225 yards per game through the air, without Earl Thomas they allowed 24.5 points per contest. However, Tate should be considered no more than a WR3/flex playoff option.
Week 17 vs. Green Bay
In the loss to the Cowboys last Monday, Golden Tate caught all six of his targets for 58 yards. TE Eric Ebron led the Lions with eight grabs for 93 yards, but Golden continues to get plenty of looks from Matthew Stafford. He finished with four receptions for 40 yards in the loss to the Packers in September.
Week 16 at Dallas
In the loss to the Giants last Sunday, Golden Tate turned in another solid performance, collecting eight receptions for 122 yards on 13 targets. In the past three weeks, he’s caught 22 passes and has been over the century mark twice. Dallas’ defense is No. 28 against the pass, and Tate is on too good of a roll lately to be left on your bench.
Week 15 at New York Giants
At home versus Chicago last Sunday, Golden Tate was targeted a team-high 11 times, leading to six catches for 58 yards. Golden continues to receive plenty of looks from Matthew Stafford and is averaging 93 yards the past three weeks. He’ll be facing the No. 23 defense against the pass, so go ahead and start Tate in this crucial part of your fantasy season.
Week 14 vs. Chicago
With Marvin Jones out last Sunday in New Orleans, Golden Tate had a huge day. He led the Lions with 10 targets, eight grabs and 145 yards. He also caught his third touchdown of the year. While Golden had just one grab for one yard versus the Bears in October, he has had a much more productive back half of the season. Tate makes for a WR2 play this week versus the No. 6 pass defense.
Week 13 at New Orleans
Even though Matthew Stafford threw for just 232 yards on Thanksgiving, Golden Tate still had a decent fantasy day – five grabs for 77 yards on seven targets. Tate continues to be an important part of the Lions passing game and has a great opportunity for a big game on Sunday in New Orleans against the sixth worst pass defense. Go ahead and keep starting Tate.
Week 12 vs. Minnesota
After totaling 379 yards the previous four games, Golden Tate was limited to three catches for 27 yards last Sunday by the Jaguars. The Lions offense struggled for much of the afternoon, with RB Theo Riddick and TE Eric Ebron accounting for half of Matthew Stafford’s passing yards. Three weeks ago in Minnesota, Golden caught 11 passes for 79 yards and the game-winning touchdown in overtime. Consider him a WR3/flex option on Thursday.
