Detroit Lions fantasy football Week 10: T.J. Hockenson outlook

T.J. Hockenson’s fantasy managers are probably starting him no matter what, but does he have a path to upside in Week 10?

Entering Week 10, Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson is a top-10 fantasy tight end across the board and TE4 in full PPR. So if you’re a fantasy manager who has him on roster, you don’t need me telling you to start him. The thin tight end landscape demands he’s a weekly must-start.

From Week 3-5, Hockenson totaled eight catches for 74 yards. Extra attention from defenses was surely a factor, but in the three games before the Lions’ Week 9 bye he had 31 targets with 11 targets in two of those contests. He topped 70 yards in two of three. In Week 8, he did not appear on the injury report for the first time in a few weeks after a knee injury had limited him.

T.J. Hockenson Week 10 fantasy football outlook

In Week 10 Hockenson gets the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are allowing the 14th-fewest fantasy points to tight ends (Yahoo!, 0.5-point PPR). They have been far more vulnerable to wide receivers (10th-most fantasy points allowed), but the Lions don’t have someone who can exploit that at a high level.

The Steelers get after the quarterback quite well, averaging nearly three sacks (22) and over five hurries (42 total) per game this season (in eight games). They have the third-best pressure rate  (28.1 percent) and the fourth-best hurry rate (13.7 percent) in the league, according to Pro Football Reference. Pittsburgh is also in the top half of the league (as in, allowing less) in total air yards allowed on completions.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff is averaging just 6.1 yards intended air yards per pass attempt this season. That’s explained best by a generally lackluster wide receiver group, and the Lions’ two best offensive players being Hockenson and running back D’Andre Swift.

Against Pittsburgh’s pass rush, even if left tackle Taylor Decker is back in the lineup, the game plan should be centered on getting the ball out of Goff’s hands quickly on Sunday. That lines up for a heavy diet of Swift and Hockenson in the passing game.

Hockenson hasn’t scored since Week 2, though not for a lack of involvement when the Lions do get in the red zone (seven red zone targets; 28.6 percent team share). But he only has three red zone targets over the last six games. In full PPR, he was the TE1 for the week in Week 8 (without a touchdown of course).

For this week against the Steelers, I’ll go bold and put Hockenson on another finish as the TE1 in PPR formats as he also ends his scoring drought.

T.J. Hockenson Week 10 Projection: 8 receptions for 82 yards, TD

5 Lions who have offered the team almost nothing in 2021

There are plenty of underachievers when you're 0-8, but these five Detroit Lions have offered almost nothing so far this season.