Fantasy football: It's a good week to play Lions wide receivers
Golden Tate and Marvin Jones are solid starts in Week 1 against the Colts, if you have one of them on your team
An estimated 57 million people play fantasy sports in this country, and if you’re reading this column you’re probably one of them. Since a good portion of the questions I see on Twitter are fantasy football related, I’ll spend most Tuesdays during the regular season catching you up on news around the NFL that might be relevant to your fantasy team and helping you decide what to do with the Lions on your roster.
The Detroit Lions didn’t do much to impress on offense this preseason, with Matthew Stafford leading just three field goal drives in nine possessions of work.
But if you have Marvin Jones or Golden Tate on your fantasy team, Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts is as good a time as ever to play them.
Jones and Tate will be co-No. 1 receivers for the Lions this year, with Tate probably leading the team in catches (think another 80-plus) and Jones doing the bulk of the work downfield (1,100 yards is attainable if he stays healthy).
Jones, who spent the last four seasons playing in A.J. Green’s shadow in Cincinnati, had a nice preseason, and this week he and the rest of the Lions get a banged up Colts secondary that will be without its best cornerback (Vontae Davis) and likely its starting strong safety (Clayton Geathers).
Nickel cornerback Darius Butler, who sprained an ankle in Week 3 of the preseason, is expected to return to practice this week.
Fantasy owners lick their lips at matchups like this, and truth be told, receivers do, too.
“I always plan on having a big game,” Tate said when asked about playing against a short-handed secondary. “That’s just the competitor in me. Now, I do think we have more of an advantage? I’ve been in camp this entire time grinding, working on my skill set and a guy like (Antonio) Cromartie, who’s only been in camp for a week or however long he’s been there, so I guess you would assume that’s an advantage.
“Now, do I think he’s going to come out and play soft or weak or anything? Heck no. I think he’s going to come out with something to prove and he’s got a job to keep just like I do. So I don’t get caught up thinking that. I just start the study the personnel and the scheme as much as I can.”
Rookie second-round pick T.J. Green is expected to start at safety in place of Geathers. Cromartie signed with the Colts two weeks ago and likely will start alongside free-agent addition Patrick Robinson in Indianapolis’ secondary this week.
“They’re still getting paid,” Tate said. “He’s still got kids to feed as well.”
According to ESPN, the Colts averaged the sixth most fantasy points allowed to receivers last year, and given the Lions’ propensity to pass out of their new no-huddle offense and the likelihood this will be a high-scoring affair – Andrew Luck is making his return from a down 2015 season for the Colts – both Tate and Jones could be in for big games Sunday.
No. 3 receiver Anquan Boldin isn’t nearly as widely owned as Jones and Tate, but he’s a name to consider in deeper leagues. Boldin played almost exclusively out of the slot this preseason and as such will square off with Butler, who allowed a passer rating of 118.2 when targeted last year according to Pro Football Focus. I don't expect a big season out Boldin this year, but five catches and a touchdown isn't out of the realm of possibility in Week 1.
Most fantasy drafts are already in the books, but if you still have one this week, here are some of my favorite sleeper and value picks:
• QB Derek Carr, Raiders – I picked the Raiders to win the AFC West, so I’m high on the team in general (keep an eye on WR Seth Roberts, too). And while Carr’s not exactly a sleeper as he’ll be owned in virtually every league, he offers great value compared to what you’ll pay for Blake Bortles or Carson Palmer. Carr threw for 32 touchdowns last year, tied for seventh most in the NFL, and he faces mediocre or worse pass defenses like New Orleans, Tennessee and Baltimore early in the year.
• WR Tyler Boyd, Bengals – Marvin Jones left for the Lions in free agency, Mohamed Sanu went to the Falcons and Tyler Eifert is hurt. Someone besides A.J. Green has to catch the ball in Cincinnati. Rookie receivers are tough to trust, but Boyd was one of the more polished players coming out of this year’s draft. He’s not going to score a lot of touchdowns, but the volume of work should eventually be there.
• WR Torrey Smith, 49ers – He shouldn’t cost much considering he plays for the worst team in the NFC and he’s coming off a 33-catch season, but someone’s got to catch the ball in San Francisco. The 49ers will be playing from behind often this year and Smith is the clear No. 1 target in a brutal receiving corps that counts Quinton Patton and Jeremy Kerley as its No. 2 and 3 receivers.
• RB Darren Sproles, Eagles – Theo Riddick and Danny Woodhead are the best receiving running backs in the NFL and will go high in PPR leagues. Sproles can be had later, and he should catch 60-plus passes this year. The Eagles have no reliable outside receivers and they’ll be starting a rookie quarterback who’ll throw his share of checkdowns.
And these three injury situations bear watching in Week 1:
• RB Spencer Ware, Chiefs – Andy Reid all but ruled Jamaal Charles out for Week 1, which means Ware will be Kansas City’s top running back for a home game against the Chargers. Last year, Ware had 148 yards rushing and two touchdowns in 19 carries against the Chargers.
• RB Matt Jones, Washington – Steer clear of Jones and every other Washington running back this week. Jones returned to practice on a limited basis Monday after missing two weeks with a separated shoulder. He might play Week 1, but Washington doesn’t play till Monday night so don’t leave a better option sitting on your bench.
• RB Carlos Hyde, 49ers – Hyde was still in the NFL’s concussion protocol as of Sunday, and there’s no telling how long brain injuries can last. The 49ers signed DuJuan Harris for insurance as a fourth running back on Monday, and you should make alternate plans for Hyde this week, too. Backup Shaun Draughn might be worth a one-week rental in a deep league if Hyde doesn’t play, but don’t expect a big rushing numbers, even in Chip Kelly’s offense, as bad as the 49ers are.
Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
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