Fantasy Football 2017: Matthew Stafford, start or sit in Week 2?
Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had the second most fantasy football points among quarterbacks in Week 1, but should you start him in Week 2?
It’s Week 2 of fantasy football, and now it’s time to really focus. Week 1 is so unpredictable, that it’s almost like an audition for your season roster. Unfortunately, now is when the difficult decisions come into play.
Week after week, you need to compare weekly matchups, previous games and fantasy football value and rankings. However, when deciding on a starting quarterback, a few more things need consideration; receivers are a necessity.
This week, Matthew Stafford is a must start in all leagues. Per Bleacher Report, Stafford enters Week 2 ranked ninth quarterback in the league. Last week’s fantasy performance was so impressive, his ownership went up about three percent in most fantasy platforms.
It wasn’t looking good for fantasy owners in the beginning of Week 1. Stafford threw a pick-six early in the game. But, they don’t call him the comeback king for nothing! He went on to throw for almost 300 yards and, while had one interception, he also tossed four touchdowns. That performance was good for 30 fantasy points.
This week, the Detroit Lions face the New York Giants. Although this matchup won’t be a walk in the park, last week the New York Giants lost to the Dallas Cowboys after holding them to only one touchdown.
Stafford didn’t score a touchdown against the Giants last season. But this year the Lions have a re-structured offensive line and a solid receiving corps. The Lions said they were going to focus more on a running game this season, but last week’s game showed otherwise.
Stafford has the receivers he needs. Although Marvin Jones and Theo Riddick both scored touchdowns, but the real MVP was rookie Kenny Golladay who scored two. With Stafford connecting with his receivers the way he did last week, there’s no way he won’t see at least 20 fantasy points this week, even against a strong Giants defense.
Next: NFL 2017: Picks against the spread for Week 2
If Stafford continues to focus on passing downfield, the Lions should be able to stand up to the Giants. Stafford is a borderline QB1/2 entering Week 2.