Due to a new offense, comfort with his coordinator and a diversification of offensive weapons, expect a big season from the Detroit Lions' Matthew Stafford in 2016.
Matthew Stafford
ESPN Fantasy Projection: 401.6 completions on 616.2 attempts for 4,503.7 yards, 25.2 touchdowns, 13.4 interceptions, 39.1 carries, 134.5 rushing yards and 1.8 rushing touchdowns.
Over or under: The projections for completions and attempts are probably close to on point, but I would go slightly over because Detroit might be quicker to abandon the run this season than in years past. I would go over on Stafford’s yards (by about 100 or so), over on the touchdowns and under on the interceptions. Why? It goes back to both the potential for the Lions to abandon the run faster and Stafford’s likely reliance on shorter, safer passes than in years past. He also has more passing options, so he should be more diversified in who he is throwing to this season. Admittedly, I’ve always been higher on Stafford than most, but he was a strong fantasy contributor once Jim Bob Cooter took over the offense last season. Expect more of the same this season and he should be a low-end QB1, high-end QB2.
