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Matthew Stafford fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 1 (2024). Should you start or sit Matthew Stafford for fantasy football lineups?
BALLER MOVE: Consider streaming in 12-team leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: QB2
ANALYSIS: The same way his previous season ended, Matthew Stafford returns to Detroit, the franchise that made him the first-overall pick in 2009. And just like the postseason loss, points won't be hard to come by.
The Rams and Lions combined for 47 points in the Wild Card round while Stafford threw for 367 yards (nearly half of which went to Puka Nacua) and two touchdowns. The over/under this time around is a league-high 51 points. Real-life points equal fantasy points.
Matthew Stafford in his last 2 games against the Lions:
33.2 FPTS (334-3)
26.7 FPTS (367-2)Lions vs. Rams has the highest O/U on the Week at 51 points.
Fire up both Stafford and Goff this week if you’re streaming QB.
— Chris O'Brien (@17gamepace) September 3, 2024
For Stafford's sake, it should come through the air. The Lions were one of the best defenses against the run a year ago and struggled when opponents dropped back to pass. Improving the secondary was a priority for the Detroit front office in the offseason. First-round pick Terrion Arnold and free-agent acquisition Carlton Davis should be the new starting outside cornerbacks.
Even with new members of the secondary, Nacua and Cooper Kupp can consistently beat any cornerbacks in the NFL. Stafford won't earn fantasy managers any points via rushing yards but the matchup and game script places him just outside of the top 12 in Week 1.
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