It didn't look good for the Detroit Lions deep into the fourth quarter. With five minutes left, the Lions trailed the New Orleans Saints by 13 points. With less than four minutes left, quarterback Matthew Stafford completed a short pass to Golden Tate, who took it 73 yards for a touchdown. The Saints tried to answer, but Drew Brees was picked off with nearly three minutes remaining. Stafford and the offense marched down the field in just under 90 seconds to score yet again.
Lions fantasy recap: Golden Tate and Matthew Stafford connect in Calvin Johnson’s absence
Calvin Johnson sat out another week, but Stafford and Tate helped rally the Lions to a win. We take a look at the fantasy implications.
Greg Shamus
The Lions came away with a 24-23 victory. We break down the fantasy performances of the game.
Matthew Stafford: Stafford finished Sunday's game with 299 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Anyone who's owned Stafford in years past can probably attest to the fact that Stafford blooms late in the games. Whether it's garbage time or a late-game rally, much like Sunday's against the Saints, Stafford has a penchant for bailing out fantasy owners as the clock winds down. He'll remain a solid QB1 that's staying above water even in the absence of Calvin Johnson.
Golden Tate: With Calvin Johnson sidelined, the pressure was on Tate for another week, and he delivered. Tate caught 10 of his 13 targets for a whopping 154 yards and a touchdown. 74 yards came from one play that brought the Lions within reach of a victory, which they ultimately accomplished. Tate will be a high-end WR2 as long as Johnson is out. He has a beatable match up against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8.
Reggie Bush: Bush saw just four carries for 10 yards and added five receptions for 22 yards to his day. Bush didn't see much action in the second half and it's presumed his ankle still isn't 100 percent. He'll have another week to heal before traveling to Atlanta. Bush is still a borderline RB2 with PPR upside moving forward.
Joique Bell: Bush's absence in the second half resulted in more work for Bell. Bell finished with 18 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes for 19 yards. Bell's touchdown was a goal line carry. He should see plenty of work against the Atlanta Falcons, who are hemorrhaging fantasy points to running backs. Bell will be an RB2 assuming he's sharing the field with Bush in Week 8.
