Week 8 vs. Kansas City
Once again, Matthew Stafford and the Lions found themselves playing from behind last Sunday versus the Vikings. In the loss, Matthew finished with 256 passing yards, two TDs, no INTs and one injured left hand. While it was his second game of the season without a pick, he continues to take a beating, getting sacked seven times. On the year, Stafford is averaging 266 yards per game with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. X-rays were negative on the hand and he’ll be able to play in London this week, facing a Chiefs defense that in No. 23 versus the pass. But, with the Lions inconsistency and a new offensive coordinator in Jim Bob Cooter, Stafford remains a low QB1 play.
Week 7 vs. Minnesota
After getting benched in Week 5, Matthew Stafford responded with a monstrous performance last Sunday versus the Bears, who came into the contest with the third best pass defense. He finished 27-of-42 for 405 yards and four TDs. He also ran for 37 yards. It was MatthewStafford's first game over 300 yards this season and his first four-touchdown game since Week 6 of 2013. He connected with Calvin Johnson for 166 yards and Lance Moore for 106. The Vikings are 14th versus the pass, so despite the strong performance last week, Stafford makes for a low-end QB1 play. In the Week 2 meeting at Minnesota, he threw the ball 53 times leading to 286 yards and two TDs.
Week 6 vs. Chicago
How bad have things gotten for the Lions? Last week in the humiliating home loss to the Cardinals, Matthew Stafford was benched in the third quarter after throwing three interceptions. Stafford finished with 188 yards and a TD toss to Theo Riddick. He still does not have a 300-yard game this season and has been picked off eight times compared to six touchdowns. The Bears are the No. 3 defense against pass, so be cautious with starting Stafford as his confidence has to be shaken.
Week 5 vs. Arizona
At Seattle last Monday, Matthew Stafford and the Lions offense didn’t do anything until the final drive of the game. Matthew finished 24-of-35 for 203 yards with no TDs in the loss. The good news is he didn’t throw an interception and wasn’t sacked – both firsts of 2015. Things won’t be any easier on Sunday, as the Cardinals are allowing less than 200 passing yards per game. Stafford will be at home and still has Calvin Johnson, but with how sluggish Detroit has been this season, he makes for more of a QB2 play.
Week 4 at Seattle
In the home loss to the Broncos last Sunday, Matthew Stafford was again forced to throw the ball more than planned, as the running game was virtually non-existent. Stafford’s numbers ended up decent, as he was 31-of-45 for 282 yards with one TD. However, he was intercepted twice, lost a fumble and was sacked four times. Detroit ran for only 28 yards against a solid Denver D and you can expect more of the same from the Lions ground game on Monday night in Seattle. The Seahawks have Kam Chancellor back from his holdout and are coming off of a shutout of the Bears last week. Be cautious about starting anyone from the Lions not named Calvin Johnson.
Week 3 vs. Denver
In Minnesota last week, Matthew Stafford took another beating and had X-rays on his chest after the loss. He was only sacked once, but threw the ball 53 times, which led to him being bounced around by the Vikings defense. With the Lions playing catchup for most of the contest, Stafford threw for 286 yards and two TDs. He also led the team with 20 rushing yards, as the Lions ground game was non-existent. If Stafford is able to play this week, he'll go up against a Denver D that’s been pretty solid in two games. With Calvin Johnson, the Detroit QB almost always has a chance for a big game, but expect an average outing on Sunday night.
Week 2 vs. Minnesota
Matthew Stafford and the Lions got off to a hot start in San Diego last Sunday, but the offense slowed down for much of the final two and a half quarters, with the Chargers controlling the clock. Stafford finished with 246 yards, two TDs and two INTs. Surprisingly, the Bolts held Calvin Johnson to only two receptions on four targets, as TE Eric Ebron and RB Ameer Abdullah were Matthew’s top pass catchers in the loss. At practice earlier this week, Stafford had his right elbow wrapped, but claims he'll be "good to go" on Sunday. The Vikes limited him to an average of just 169 yards in two meetings last season, so the Detroit QB falls to the middle of the pack this week as our No. 17 signal caller.
Week 1 vs. San Diego
Matthew Stafford will have a healthy Calvin Johnson to target to star the season, which definitely makes his stats and the team better. The 27-year-old has thrown for over 4,000 yards and at least 20 TDs in each of the past four seasons. Stafford will be facing a Chargers defense that was pretty solid versus the pass last year, however, allowing the fourth-fewest yards through the air. Stafford is our No. 16 QB for Week 1.
Fantasy Upside
Entering his seventh season, Matthew Stafford has thrown for over 4,200 yards in four straight years. Of the past four seasons, he has averaged 41 attempts per game with the fewest passes during that span coming last season when he still averaged 37. Matthew has the best WR in the game to throw to in Calvin Johnson and also built a good rapport with Golden Tate last season. After an injury-plagued first couple of years, Stafford has become durable, not missing a game the past four seasons.
Fantasy Downside
After passing for over 5,000 yards in ’11, Stafford’s total has declined in each of the past three seasons. He only had four 300-yard games last year, and when Johnson misses time, Matthew and the Lions offense tends to struggle. There’s always been a knock on Stafford regarding accuracy, and last year was no exception. Among the top 10 passing QBs of ’14, he had the lowest completion percentage (60.3) while attempting the fifth-most passes (602). Reggie Bush and Joique Bell were both nice weapons in the passing game, but Bush has departed to San Francisco and Bell is battling some offseason injuries.
Bottom Line
Stafford is a top-15 fantasy QB and has the potential to be in the top-10, especially when Megatron is healthy. With improved blocking up front to allow him more time, we could see an increase in deep balls his season. You can pretty much pencil the Detroit QB in for 4,000 passing yards and 20-25 TDs, but in today's NFL those only make for QB2 numbers.
Wild Card – Matthew Stafford vs. Dallas Cowboys
At Green Bay last week, Matthew Stafford threw for 217 yards and three TDs. He also had his best rushing game of the season, scrambling for 29 yards on four carries. After tossing only one total touchdown in Weeks 15 and 16, fantasy owners had to be pleased with his performance in the regular season finale. Although Matthew has passed for less than 250 yards in three straight, the game at Dallas on Sunday could turn in to a shootout. With Calvin Johnson to throw to, Stafford is a good option; however, he may not be the best choice if you’re looking for a QB to carry you throughout the playoffs.
