2010 Fantasy NFL Preview: Detroit Lions

The Lions have added some young pieces (Stafford, Best, Megatron, Pettigrew) on offense over the past couple of years. They added some pieces on defense as well. They are far from being a contender, but they should be more competitive in 2010.

 

 

Fantasy Playoffs Schedule :  Moderate

The Lions face the Packers at home, the Bucs on the road, and the Dolphins on the road. Calvin Johnson is probably the only sure thing in the playoffs—he and your Packers and Dolphins.

 

Five-Star Fantasy Options

Calvin Johnson – Assuming he (and Stafford) is healthy, Megatron should put up numbers more resembling his 2008 season (78-1331-12) than his 2009 season (67-984-5)—mainly because he’ll have more of a comfort level with Stafford, but also because Nate Burleson should take some of the defensive pressure away.

 

Four-Star Fantasy Options

 

None

 

Three-Star Fantasy Options

Matthew Stafford – With Megatron and the combo of Tony Scheffler and Brandon Pettigrew at TE, Stafford should have some weapons at his disposal. Burleson provides an upgrade at No. 2 WR. Stafford had his moments as a rookie and should make some progress in his second year. He remains a low-end QB2 though.

Jahvid Best – Best will have to prove he can hold up to the rigors of the NFL, but he has electrifying talent with little competition. He could be a nice dual-threat if he’s able to stay on the field.

 

Two-Star Fantasy Options

Nate Burleson – Burleson has a knack for performing well when you don’t expect him to and poorly when you do. He’s worth a look as a WR5 in his new home. He should have opportunities playing opposite of Calvin Johnson.

 

One-Star Fantasy Options

Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris – I’m concerned with Smith's knee and with the number of carries he’ll get. He’s a good low-end pick to round-out your bench. If Best gets hurt or can’t carry the load, Smith could take over as the feature back. Morris only has value if both Best and Smith go down.

Brandon Pettigrew & Tony Scheffler - Pettigrew could miss some time early on as he recovers from his knee injury. Scheffler should see more looks as Pettigrew recovers, but will split duties as the season progresses.

Lions Defense/Special Teams – I like the additions of Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch, but this defense is still a long way away.

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