Fantasy Football: Matt Stafford offers value in 2020
As we head towards the 2020 NFL season, Matt Stafford is a buy low for fantasy football this year, both in redraft and dynasty. Before a season ending back injury in Week 9, Stafford was averaging the 6th most fantasy points per game for quarterbacks at 24.6 points per game. By the end of the season that average was good enough for third, behind only Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson. If Stafford had played a full season at the same pace for the remainder of the season, he would have had 4998 passing yards, ranking second behind Jameis Winston. His projected 38 touchdowns would have seen him lead the league in 2020.
Stafford's weapons
Stafford has two very consistent wide receivers in Golladay and Mavin Jones. Golladay finished the 2019 season as WR9 averaging 15.85 ppg. While Jones finished as WR24 despite missing two games. It is worth keeping in mind they did this last season with Stafford only playing half the season. We must not forget about TJ Hockenson who the Lions drafted eighth overall last year. He started out fantasticly in Week 1 going with 6 receptions on 6 targets for 131 yards and a touhdown. Unfortunately, this is as good as it got for Hockenson, but as we know it takes time for tight ends to adapt to the NFL.
The Lions most talked about rookie from the 2020 class is running back D’Andre Swift, who was drafted out of Georgia. Swift is another player who will help Stafford in the passing game this season. Swift enters the NFL coming off two seasons of over 1000 rushing yards and 30 plus targets per season.
Stafford's history as a fantasy producer
Seeing Stafford’s name at the top of fantasy rankings is not an unusual site. He has been in the league for 11 years, playing in a full 16 games in eight of those seasons. In six of those eight seasons he has finished as a QB 1 in 12-team leagues.
His last full season, 2018, was the worst 16-game performance of his career as he finished ranked 20th at the quarterback position. In that season he threw for just 3777 yards, at 6.8 yards per attempt, with just 21 touchdowns at a touchdown percentage of 3.8%.
However, that was the only full season of Stafford’s career in which he was below 4000 yards. It was also only the second year of his career with a TD% below 4. 2020 should provide an opportunity for Stafford to put two tough years behind him.
With Stafford back to full health and still at the peak of his powers, he is set up for a potential top eight finish or better in 2020. At 32 Stafford has another eight seasons of football before he turns 40, eaning you should not dismiss him in dynasty leagues either.
Stafford has the weapons in Golladay, Jones, Swift and what should be a breakout year for Hockenson. Stafford is a potential bargain at his current ADP of QB 18 in dynasty and 13 in redraft according to fantasyfootballcalculator.com.
Jerry O'Shea
Fantasy Football Analyst
Jerry O’Shea has been playing dynasty fantasy football for 5 years. In that time he has Taken part in all different types of fantasy football leagues including superflex, 1qb, idp, te premium and salary cap. Jerry is from Ireland and enjoys all sports.
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