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Before each game this season, I will provide fantasy football advice about which Detroit Lions you should start or sit. Even if you don't have any Lions on your fantasy team(s), this might still be useful in projecting how the week will pan out for the Honolulu Blue and Silver.
Of course, same caveats as last year apply: I'm just a regular NFL fan who has an armchair where I like to sit and read a lot and develop opinions.
These are some of my opinions for the very important Week 10 NFC North battle at the Chicago Bears:
QB Matthew Stafford
LAST GAME: I said to start him and that he'd be a better option than his counterpart, Tony Romo. They were close, but Stafford didn't disappoint with his 488 yards passing and 2 touchdowns (1 passing and the other rushing). His 2 interceptions may have knocked him below Romo in some leagues depending on your settings.
THIS WEEK: Stafford is currently the No. 4 quarterback in fantasy football, so unless you have another Top 10-12 quarterback, you ought to not think twice about starting him. The Bears are 23rd against the pass in terms of yards (253 per game) and 26th in some fantasy leagues in terms of overall fantasy points allowed to QBs. If you're worried about the weather being a factor, don't -- the forecast is promising. Of the Top 10 names, I only like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tony Romo and Andrew Luck better this week.
VERDICT: Start.
RB Reggie Bush
LAST GAME I guessed Top 15 PPR and he put up 92 yards rushing and a touchdown to go along with 8 catches and 30 yards receiving.
THIS WEEK: It's hard to forget the 150-plus yards and touchdown Bush put up on the Bears in Week 4, but you have to remember it was indoors on turf. That might affect things. But what will most likely not change is the Bears' inability to stop the run. They have allowed over 100 yards in four of their last five games and are 29th overall (127.5 yards per game). Bush is sure to get his fair share.
VERDICT: Start. Top 15 PPR.
RB Joique Bell
LAST GAME Bell had 32 yards rushing, a 22-yard catch on his only target and a touchdown.
THIS WEEK: Due to Chicago's horrible run defense and the Lions' knack for getting Bell involved out of the backfield, he's not a bad deep option in PPR leagues. However, he has been seeing far too few touches with Bush healthy to make him a confident and/or smart play in any other kind of setup.
VERDICT: Sit.
WR Calvin Johnson
LAST GAME: Ohhhh, only 329 yards on 14 catches and a touchdown. The 329 yards in regulation were the most by a wide receiver in the history of the NFL.
THIS WEEK: You know how in some leagues you can't drop players that the league deems to be a "Keeper"? They shouldn't let you bench Megatron.
VERDICT: Start.
WR Kris Durham
LAST GAME 4 catches for 54 yards on 6 targets.
THIS WEEK: He has 34 targets in the last four games, so he should be owned in almost all leagues and be a PPR option at this point. In Week 4 against the Bears, he had the most yards receiving on the team with 58, and you know the Bears are going to try to do everything they can to make sure Megatron doesn't beat them. I actually think Durham is going to finish higher than the mid-40s range that most rankings have him.
VERDICT: Deeper league play.
TE Brandon Pettigrew
LAST GAME: I said to start only if you were desperate. He had 3 catches for 31 yards on 6 targets
THIS WEEK: Tight ends have been successful against the Bears the last two weeks (Andrew Quarless and Jordan Reed), so it's conceivable that the heavily targeted TE could find another nut this week. I wouldn't stake my meal on it, though.
VERDICT: Sit.
TE Joseph Fauria
LAST GAME A mysterious no-show.
THIS WEEK: It's like any time Fauria shows signs of busting out and being this monster dancer, the Lions rein him in so as to not tip their hand or something. It doesn't make much sense, but it also means it doesn't make much sense to play him in fantasy without some consistency.
VERDICT: Sit.
K David Akers
LAST GAME: He hit a field goal and 4 extra points.
THIS WEEK: Nothing has changed; the Lions will continue to get the ball within kicking range and get plenty of use out of Akers, but what kind of kicks depends on how many stops the Bears have in them to make Akers the better play. It's hard to predict, but I'd guess the Lions score enough to make him not kill you if you do play him.
VERDICT: Play the waivers, but you could do a lot worse.
Detroit D/ST
LAST GAME: I said sit and that would've been smart. The Cowboys put up 30 points and did not allow a single sack or turnover.
THIS WEEK: Not on the road in Chicago. Josh McCown or Jay Cutler. It doesn't matter. Too risky.
VERDICT: Sit.
What say you? Leave your thoughts in the comments.