ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions play late Sunday night, so fantasy questions are at a premium with all the early games done by the time inactives are out -- and this week for Detroit, inactives are important. Here’s a bit of a guide of how to handle the Lions this Sunday.

QB Matthew Stafford: He’s a tough player to read this week because of all the uncertainty around him. He’s been typically reliable for around 15 points coming off a bye week since 2011, but he’s facing one of the best pass defenses in the NFL. The Lions' offense has also struggled throughout the season. Add on to that his receiver situation -- more on that below -- is in flux. In four of his six games this year, Stafford has given owners between 13.1 and 16.4 fantasy points. I’d trend toward the low end this week on that range -- but I expect he’ll be in that range.

RB Ameer Abdullah: It’s been a mediocre go for Abdullah this year from a fantasy perspective. He’s only scored one touchdown and only had one game where he was a true PPR threat -- in Week 3 against Atlanta. Still think he’s capable of some big games this season, and he put up 85-plus yards rushing against New York and Minnesota.

RB Theo Riddick: Riddick would still be on my PPR radar but that’s it. The way the Lions' offense has been moving (or not moving, as the case were), Riddick’s value is a bit tough to gauge. He’s lost some of his role because the Lions seem to trust Zach Zenner more in third-down pass protection. This could be a good week for him both due to Detroit’s potential receiver issues and Pittsburgh’s defense possibly forcing Stafford into dump-down mode. But Riddick has had more than five catches in a game once this year -- in Week 1 against Arizona. The good news for Riddick owners is that he got eight targets against New Orleans, so maybe an uptick in his workload. Be wary here.

RB Zach Zenner: Zenner is only good for you in a goal-line situation as a boom-or-bust touchdown option. Other than that, he doesn’t have much fantasy relevance.

RB Dwayne Washington: Washington has no fantasy relevance at this time.

WR Golden Tate: He’s one of the big questions this week. Tate has a shoulder injury and was in a sling last week. This week he’s practiced on a limited basis every day -- and he's listed as questionable for Sunday night. If Tate plays, there’s no guarantee he’ll be 100 percent, but he’s also one of the toughest players Detroit has. And his shiftiness will not be affected by a shoulder as opposed to say, an ankle. If he plays, put him in the lineup. If he doesn’t, though, you’ll need options.

WR Marvin Jones: Jones is the lone guarantee to have a decent-sized role in the receiver corps. He had a career-high 13 targets last week against New Orleans and a season-best 96 yards. Jones is also the only experienced, reliable option Stafford will have if Tate doesn’t play. If you have Jones and Tate and were to play one, I’d play Tate if he plays, Jones if Tate doesn’t. Otherwise, Jones is pretty touchdown dependent -- and he’s scored in half of the games this year.

WR Kenny Golladay: Golladay has been ruled out by the Lions. He missed Thursday and Friday’s practice and while some of his teammates indicated he would be available Sunday night, that was early in the week and clearly something changed between now and then. He seems to have a hamstring injury that won’t go away. His absence takes away a potential deep option for Stafford.

WR TJ Jones: Jones might be worth picking up and stashing him on your bench in case Tate ends up inactive. If that's the case, Jones will likely slide into a starting role and he’s a sure-handed, tough receiver who has no problem going over the middle. If Tate plays, Jones becomes mostly fantasy irrelevant. But if Tate is out, then Jones might be a great flier.

TE Eric Ebron: This is a big week for Ebron and how he’ll be viewed the rest of the season. His production has been poor. If you’ve been starting him most weeks, he’s likely hurt you. And with the bye week, it’s not clear what his role will be going forward. So don’t start him -- don’t think about it -- but monitor his snaps and usage because it’ll give an idea of what the rest of the season looks like. If Tate is out, though, he becomes an intriguing last-minute flex option.

TE Darren Fells: He’s still boom-or-bust as a fantasy touchdown option. But as with Ebron, monitor his usage against Pittsburgh. He should still get a lot of work, considering Detroit’s offensive line questions and he’s getting more attention from Stafford.

Lions defense: Ben Roethlisberger may be on the road this week, but Pittsburgh’s offense is still one of the most potent the Lions will play this year. Plus, Detroit has had its own defensive issues of late, allowing 27 or more points in three of the past four games. There will be a time to use Detroit’s defense again -- perhaps as early as next week -- but stay away this week.