May 31, 2019

After seven straight seasons as a top-15 fantasy quarterback — five of which featured top-10 finishes — the 2018 season wasn’t kind to Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who struggled all year and finished as the overall QB20. Stafford threw for under 4000 yards for the first time as a full-time starter, and while he completed a higher percentage of his passes than he did in 2016 or 2017, he finished with just 21 touchdown passes, his fewest since 2012. Factor in his usual double-digit interceptions, and 2018 was a year that Stafford, Lions fans, and Stafford fantasy owners would love to forget. But will he bounce back in 2019? The Lions added Danny Amendola to their receiving room, but at this point, he won’t be a great replacement for the traded Golden Tate. Rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson should help, but the Lions, behind Kerryon Johnson, are likely to depend more on their running game this year. Stafford’s career history suggest he can return to the top-10 at the quarterback position, but last year’s performance and the small improvements the team made this offseason suggest that fantasy owners shouldn’t have much confidence in that, especially as younger quarterbacks continue to improve around the league. Stafford’s a solid, late-round pick to be your team’s backup quarterback, but look elsewhere for someone to trust as your fantasy starter.--Justin Carter - RotoBaller