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2017 fantasy football team outlook for the Detroit Lions. Tom Vecchio analyzes each position to see which NFL players will provide fantasy value in 2017.
The Detroit Lions are eyeing the top in the NFC North after finishing in second or third place in four of the last five years.
The Lions spent six of their nine draft picks on defensive players this past draft, and are looking to sure up one of their weak spots. The have they have offensive weapons on paper, but have yet to put together a full team effort.
Let's see what the team has to offer fantasy owners in 2017.
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Detroit Lions 2017 Team Outlook
Offseason Moves
Notables Acquisitions: G T.J. Lang, CB DJ Hayden, DE Cornelius Washington
Notable Losses: WR Anquan Boldin, LB DeAndre Levy, G Larry Warford
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford became the highest paid player in the NFL this offseason, as he signed a five-year extension for $135 Million. Some argue that he isn’t worth that money, since he is 0-3 life time in the playoffs, which included his worst loss, last season at Seattle 26-6. Whether you agree with the high dollar extension, Stafford has finished in the top 10 for passing yards every year since 2011. Last season Stafford finished with 4,327 yards, 24 TD, 10 INT, and a QB rating of 93.3. He has the stats to back up the money, now it is time for him to put together a successful playoff run. In terms of fantasy value, Stafford is a fantastic option, since he consistently puts up yards as I mentioned. The Lions have been a pass first team in recent years, so having their QB at the helm of your fantasy team can always be beneficial. Stafford’s ADP is around 12 for quarterbacks, but has potential to be a top five option from strictly a fantasy perspective. That is the distinction with Stafford, he may not be the best real life QB, but he certainly puts up the numbers you every Sunday.
Running Back
The Lions finished third worst in the league last year when it came to total rushing yards. This is clearly a huge weakness for them, and a spot where much improvement can also come from. Last season the Lions best running back was Theo Riddick who finished with 357 rushing yards, only one touchdown, in 10 games played. The big question mark when it comes to running back for the Lions is Ameer Abdullah. The former second-round pick had a modest rookie, which was followed by last year, only playing two games, due to a season ending foot injury. Abdullah had a successful college career, and had a good amount of hype following him into the draft, so expectations are high for him. Riddick is currently listed as the second string running back and can provide a wealth of fantasy help, as he is a threat out of the backfield. Last season he had 53 receptions and five touchdowns via the passing game. He makes a great flex option, especially in PPR leagues, because the dual threat is real with Riddick. There is plenty of fantasy production to be had from both Abdullah and Riddick, the only question is how consistent can they both be, and will one overshadow the other.
Wide Receiver
The strength of the Lions lies with Matthew Stafford, which is then transferred to their receivers. Last season the Lions finished with three players over 700 yards receiving, two of which were wide receivers. Their top wide out from last year was Golden Tate, who finished with over 1,000 receiving yards for the second time in three years, and has tallied 90 or more receptions in three straight seasons. Tate is a great fantasy option this season, especially in PPR formats, since he got nearly 8.5 targets a game last year. The slight downside for Tate was that he only had four touchdowns, and hasn’t had more than six touchdowns in four straight years. That is one area he can improve on, and if he does, he can be a top option at wide receiver. One major loss for the Lions was veteran wide out Anquan Boldin. He led the team with eight touchdowns last season, and now that offensive void must be filled by the other players. The real X factor when it comes to the Lions receiving core is Marvin Jones Jr. He finished with 930 yards, and only four touchdowns. Jones was fifth in the league last season when it came to yards per catch, and is a great deep threat for the Lions offense. He brings the explosiveness against any team, as he had 16 catches for over 20 yards last season. Jones is a player that could easily slip in some drafts, but he is worth a roster spot, due to his deep ball threat.
Tight End
Eric Ebron is the starting tight end for the Lions, and is coming into his fourth season in the league. Since being a rookie, he has increased his receptions, targets, and yards each year. Those are some strong trends, but he only had a single touchdown in 13 games last season. So needless to say, there is much to be improved upon with him, and has surely been a sore spot for some fantasy owners. Ebron finished last season with 711 yards and 61 receptions, so he is seeing plenty of looks in the passing game, he just needs to make more of them. Ebron had the eighth most receiving yards as a tight end last year, but isn’t viewed as a top fantasy option. He comes with some risk, but if the touchdowns can come, he will be a hot commodity.
Kicker
Matt Prater is in his four fourth year with the Lions, and has shown to be a very serviceable kicker in both real life, and for your fantasy teams. Prater missed only five field goals last season, finishing with an 86% make rate, which was 12th in the league. He also hit on 94% of extra point attempts, which could be improved on this season. Since the Lions generally play in high scoring games, Prater sees plenty of action, and can rack up some easy fantasy points.
Defense/Special Teams
The Detroit defense is very average, and when I say average, I really mean it. They finished between 15th and 20th in the league when it came to total yards allowed, passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, and average points per game. They fall in the middle for all of those, and that is part of the problem for them. They aren’t great at really anything, so teams seem to pick on them from all sides. The Lions only had 26 sacks last season, which was second to last in the league. So they aren’t great at stopping the run or the pass, and they can’t sack the quarterback. They are a good team to pick on in your fantasy match ups, and don’t have an “IT” factor, that will scare you away.
