ALLEN PARK, Mich. – You have Detroit Lions on your fantasy roster but you don’t know what to do with them. Or maybe you’re seeing a possible waiver-wire pickup. Here’s some advice on what to do with the Lions heading into Week 4.
QB Matthew Stafford: This would be a week to stay away from the Lions quarterback as Minnesota has kept him from getting big numbers under Mike Zimmer. He has completed more than 65 percent of his passes just once in six games. He has thrown for 250 or more yards only twice – both losses in 2015. He never has thrown more than two touchdowns against the Vikings under Zimmer, either, although the 9-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio over the last six games is nice. Stafford against a Zimmer Vikings defense has never scored more than 19.44 points in game, either. In other words, you’re likely to find better options this week.
RB Ameer Abdullah: It’s a bad time to be an Ameer Abdullah fantasy owner. He’s not getting carries inside the 20-yard line and has no rushing touchdowns this season. He has gone over 50 rushing yards in only one game (a career-high 86 against the Giants) and has yet to catch more than three passes in a game. Stafford could be in check-down city against Minnesota, but playing Abdullah as anything more than a hopeful flex option is not a great move this week.
RB Theo Riddick: If Stafford becomes a check-down quarterback this week, that could be good for Riddick. He’s the pass-catching and two-minute back, so he could receive a bunch of opportunities. But he hasn’t had a good game against the Vikings since Week 6 of 2014. A PPR-only option anyway, Riddick has less than 50 receiving yards against Minnesota each of the last four times he has faced the Vikings. He hasn’t scored since 2014. That said, he’s maybe the second-best play for the Lions this week as a flex option.
RB Zach Zenner: He’ll get the ball a few times and could be the goal-line back if Detroit gets into that scenario – but he’s purely a boom-or-bust touchdown option.
WR Golden Tate: I like this matchup for Tate. In three of his last four games against the Vikings, he has had over 75 receiving yards and at least five receptions. He has been heavily targeted each time, too, with at least six targets every time he has faced Minnesota with a Zimmer defense. In three of those games, he has had 10 or more targets. He feels like a good WR2 this week – and the best play the Lions have. He’s also Detroit’s most consistent offensive option.
WR Marvin Jones Jr.: Our Mike Clay is projecting that Xavier Rhodes will match up on Jones for most of the day. That’s not good for Jones. Rhodes is a lockdown-level corner for Minnesota, and it could be difficult for Jones to get looks. Add the aforementioned Vikings pressure from the front seven and the deeper routes Jones typically runs might not have the time needed to develop. He has scored in two of three games this year but has yet to have more than three catches in a contest. His six targets last week were a season high.
WR Kenny Golladay: I’d be wary of Golladay this week. He’s dealing with a hamstring injury and went from limited practice Wednesday to no practice Thursday – so he’s not trending in the right direction. If he were healthy he’d be a good flex option this week, but there’s no guarantee he’ll even be out on the field. Find a better option.
WR TJ Jones: That option might be TJ Jones if you’re desperate. Jones has been a capable fill-in for Detroit and if Golladay ends up not playing, Jones will get a lot of reps in three-receiver sets. He has caught five-of-seven targets this year for 95 yards. Not advocating actually playing him, but he gets targeted on 23.3 percent of his routes and Stafford has comfort with him. Just throwing him out there as an intriguing bench stash.
TE Eric Ebron: Yes, Ebron has had a poor showing so far this year – a couple of key drops against Atlanta last week and only nine catches through three games, but playing the Vikings could lead to a decent game for him. Other than the zero he put up against Minnesota in Week 12 last year, he has had three games of five or more receptions and two touchdowns. He also has had two of the higher yardage totals of his career – 89 yards in Week 7 of 2015 and 92 yards in Week 9 of 2016. He also never has dropped a pass against the Vikings. So he’s a TE2 candidate – but understand there’s always the potential for him to do nothing.
Lions defense: The Lions have been forcing turnovers – eight so far this year – and the defense has held two of three opponents under 20 points (the 23 points by the Cardinals was skewed by a Stafford pick-six). Minnesota’s offense has put up a ton of yards, but the Lions are a mid-level defensive option this week.