Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate Post-Week 3 Fantasy Advice

Three games down, and we've seen three less-than-stellar performances from the Detroit Lions offense. The Lions managed only two touchdowns in Sunday's 24-12 loss to the Denver Broncos, watching their special teams fail miserably on extra-point attempts as their offense sputtered along.

Matthew Stafford threw for 282 yards and a touchdown but was picked off twice. He's thrown multiple interceptions in two of the first three games this season. Calvin Johnson helped pick up the slack with 77 yards on eight receptions, while Golden Tate hauled in five balls for 57 yards.

Here is a look at how the trio fared overall and what to expect from the Lions passing game going forward.

Matthew Stafford

Completions/Attempts	Yards	TDs	INTs
31/45	282	1	2

Stafford remains the borderline-ownable player he's been for the last few years. The Lions quarterback has not thrown for more than 29 touchdowns since his breakout 2011 campaign and is on pace for another finish in the low to mid-20s. He is who he is at this point, and with each passing year, the likelihood of his returning to 2011 form shrinks.

Still, a trio of losses has done wonders for Stafford's yardage total. After dipping to 4,257 last season—down from three straight years of at least 4,600 yards through the air—Stafford is on a solid pace to go well over the 4,000-yard mark again. While he has yet to have a breakout contest, Stafford has not thrown for fewer than 246 yards in a game this season.

If he can keep that performance level consistent, that's a guaranteed 10-point week in most fantasy formats. Add a touchdown or two, and Stafford is the average fantasy option he's been for the last few years. That's not a ringing endorsement, but it's reality.

Calvin Johnson

Receptions	Yards	TDs	Targets
8	77	0	13

Megatron's not setting the world on fire with downfield receptions this season. His longest grab has been for 28 yards, and he's averaged fewer than 10 yards per reception over the last two weeks. That's not a problem when he's getting the volume that he is now—Johnson has made 18 receptions over the last two weeks—but the downfield problem is something the Lions need to address.

Stafford's longest throw of the season has been for 36 yards. Last week, he completed no passes of 20 or more yards. For a Lions offense that had been based on Johnson's inhuman ability to make over-the-top grabs and Stafford's laser arm, the offensive stagnation is a concern. One would theorize that the Lions are attempting to curb Stafford's interception habit, but he's thrown five already this season; that isn't working.

In any league, Johnson remains a no-questions-asked WR1. He's closer to the mid-tier of that range, however, than he was before the season started. We're talking about a future Hall of Famer in the middle of his prime. The downfield production will come.

Golden Tate

Receptions	Yards	TDs	Targets
5	57	0	7

Tate needed a Johnson injury to break out into fantasy stardom last season. He may need that again. The Notre Dame product has turned in three largely uninspiring performances and is nearing a point where he may have to be moved to the bench.

Through three games, Tate has 161 receiving yards and hasn't made a reception for more than 33 yards.

Until he starts getting more consistent work, Tate is a flex play, at best, in 12-team formats. He can pose a little more value in PPR leagues, but his production level is available all over the waiver wire at this point.

The Lions offense needs an injection of life somewhere.