Week 3 vs. New England Patriots
At San Francisco last week, Kenny Golladay grabbed six passes for 89 yards and a TD. The WR trio of Golden Tate, Marvin Jones and Golladay saw 31 of Matthew Stafford’s 53 pass attempts in the loss. Even though he is No. 3 on the WR depth chart, Golladay will continue to see playing time and looks from Stafford. He should be used as a WR3 play on Sunday night versus a Patriots defense that just allowed over 350 yards and four TDs through the air to the Jaguars.
Week 2 at San Francisco 49ers
In the loss to the Jets last Monday, Matthew Stafford looked Kenny Golladay’s way often during the first half, leading to the second-year receiver's first career 100-yard game. On 12 targets, he posted seven receptions for 114 yards and made some great catches, which were aided by his 6-foot-4 frame. Golladay will remain a big part of the Lions' passing game, but Stafford has a lot of options. Consider him a WR3/flex option at San Francisco this week.
Week 1 vs. New York Jets
Even though Kenny Golladay is the Lions' No. 3 WR, he is a deep threat for Matthew Stafford and will continue to be a big part of the offense in 2018. While Golden Tate and Marvin Jones will likely see most of Stafford’s targets, Golladay’s size makes him a nice red zone target. However, he should be used as no more than a WR3 option on Monday night.
Fantasy Upside
Even though he missed five full games his rookie season, Kenny Golladay showed flashes of brilliance, finishing with 28 grabs for 477 yards and 3 touchdowns. In his first regular-season contest as a pro, he registered 4 grabs, 69 yards, and 2 of his TDs. Golladay should be headed for even bigger things in 2018, as he consistently torched the first-team defense, especially in the red zone, during offseason workouts. He could become a touchdown extraordinaire, with his 6-foot-4 frame that includes a 32-inch wingspan.
Fantasy Downside
Matthew Stafford has built a good rapport with starters Golden Tate and Marvin Jones, so Golladay’s playing time and targets may not be as high as owners would like. While he’s fully healed now, he missed action last year due to a lingering hamstring injury.
2018 Bottom Line
There’s not much to dislike about Golladay, as he possesses 4.5-speed and has the ability to leap over almost anyone. He should definitely be a red zone weapon for Stafford but can be so much more, as five of his receptions totaled over 40 yards during his rookie season. It’s likely he’ll go undrafted in most leagues, but Golladay should be someone you’ll want to keep an eye on and grab off the waiver wires, especially if Tate or Jones get injured.
Week 17 vs. Green Bay Packers
Even though Matthew Stafford completed only 19 passes last week at Cincinnati, Kenny Golladay continues to be a part of the Detroit passing attack. On 8 targets, the rookie caught 4 balls for 28 yards, posting nearly identical stats in back-to-back games. The Packers defense is banged up and has had its troubles at stopping the pass, but Stafford has too many weapons to make Golladay a viable fantasy option.
Week 16 at Cincinnati Bengals
With Matthew Stafford throwing the ball 33 times last Saturday versus the Bears, Kenny Golladay was targeted a season-high 5 times, leading to the first 4-reception game of the rookie’s career. While he totaled only 29 yards on those grabs, Golladay is getting some looks from his QB and remains a red zone threat with his 6-foot-4 frame. With your fantasy championship on the line, however, you’re better off looking elsewhere for a starting WR.
Week 15 vs. Chicago Bears
After catching exactly 2 passes in the five consecutive games he played, Kenny Golladay upped his total to 3 receptions last Sunday in the win against the Buccaneers. However, his longest grab went for just 7 yards and he totaled only 17 yards on the day. The rookie caught 2 passes for 52 yards in the win over the Bears in mid-November, but doesn’t make for a good fantasy start as he’s just not seeing enough looks.
Week 14 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
As consistent as the sun rising in the East, Kenny Golladay finishes a game with 2 receptions. In the loss to the Ravens last week, he collected 2 grabs for the fifth straight game he’s played in, totaling 44 yards. While the rookie isn’t receiving a ton of looks (13 since returning from a hamstring injury four contests ago), he is making the most of his opportunities with some deep catches. His 31-yard reception last week was the fifth time he’s caught a pass of at least 30 yards this season. He has not scored since his 2-TD performance in Week 1, so Golladay should only be started if you’re out of other options.
Week 13 at Baltimore Ravens
For the third consecutive game since returning from his hamstring injury, Kenny Golladay caught 2 passes from Matthew Stafford. On Thanksgiving, the rookie finished with 61 yards and has at least a 40-yard grab in each of the past three games. Stafford continues to spread the ball around with Golladay mainly being used as the deep threat. Baltimore allows just 190 yards per game through the air, so you’re likely better off starting another WR as you make your playoff push.
Week 12 vs. Minnesota Vikings
With Matthew Stafford throwing for 299 yards last week in the win at Chicago, Kenny Golladay collected 2 receptions for 52 yards. In his two games since being activated from a hamstring injury, he’s caught 4 passes for 116 yards, with 2 of those receptions accounting for 90 of the yards. Stafford continues to spread the ball around, limiting the rookie’s looks. Golladay makes for, at best, a FLEX start on Thursday against the league’s No. 11 ranked pass defense.
