Detroit Lions fan’s 2020 fantasy football success guide
Detroit Lions kickers and defense/special teams
Matt Prater
Last but not least, kicker Matt Prater is the fourth-ranked kicker in the ESPN ADP rankings and has always been both an accurate kicker and able to hit from fifty-plus yards regularly.
Prater hit 83.9% of his 31 field goal attempts, missing the most kicks (3) from 40-49 yards, while only missing once from beyond 50 yards. He only missed one extra point out of 36 attempts, as well. His opportunities will go up with Stafford in the lineup and are somewhat dependent on the offense moving the ball well.
His fantasy value has him selected at pick 129.3 on average, No. 121 on their overall list of players. Justin Tucker (Ravens), Harrison Butker (Chiefs), and Will Lutz (Saints) are the guys to be on the lookout for and will probably not start getting taken until the eighth round, approximately. Prater may last until the late-tenth or early-eleventh round but watch for those other guys to be taken first.
Detroit Lions D/ST
Let’s just be blunt here, the Detroit Lions were horrible on defense last year. The return game was pretty good with Jamal Agnew returning a couple of kicks for touchdowns.
What we can hope for is that players will be healthier and that we will create more pressure on opposing quarterbacks, while covering receivers, tight ends, and running backs mush better than last year’s defense that gave up 400.4 yards-per-game, 31st in the NFL.
Don’t draft the Detroit Lions defense for its special teams return game. Just don’t. If you see them play and they look like a different team after the season starts, then think about it.
A lot has to go right for their defense to be fantasy-relevant by being in the top-15 in all of the statistics that usually decide defensive fantasy production. Sacks, tackles-for-loss, interceptions, blocked kicks, forced fumbles, safeties, turnovers returned for touchdowns, kicks returned for touchdowns, and scales for points given up or yards given up all do not favor the Lions at this point.
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Could they get there? Sure. They have the talent and run a system similar to the New England Patriots, who are always fantasy-relevant.
Detroit Lions fans don’t need the defense to be top-10 to win games but it would be nice for them to be good enough to be draftable for a change in fantasy football.