How does Golden Tate’s move to the Detroit Lions affect their fantasy potential? Golden Tate was without question the biggest free agent catch for the Detroit Lions and will draw coverage away from the Lions All-World WR Calvin Johnson. Potential fantasy owners may be hesitant to spend a high draft pick on Johnson now because of Tate, but in fantasy football giving a little can go a long way. Now Johnson can get open and be more of a threat done the field and can produce major fantasy points, hopefully ALL season long.
The Lions other big move of free agency was the resigning of Joique Bell. Bell’s presence means stability in the backfield, with the often-injured Reggie Bush, and ensures balance on the offense for the Lions. We also get to say “Joique” more on the podcast and we all love that. Here is a high-five to awesome names. Defenses won’t have the luxury of dropping coverage on every play and it should open passing lanes for Johnson and Tate. Bell is one of the most coveted handcuffs in fantasy football next year.
The addition of Tate, along with the re-signing of Joique Bell, means that Stafford will have more offensive weapons at his disposal than ever before. Couple this with a young defense that could come of age this season, similar to the Kansas City Defense last year, and there is recipe for success with Stafford.
But wait, there’s more. Stafford could come with a bargain price tag in next year’s fantasy draft. Courtesy of our friends at Fantasy Football Calculator, Stafford was going on average in the fourth round of drafts last year. Given his poor performance in the latter portion of last season, that draft position has the potential to drop. Don’t rush to get Stafford because he has another weapon, but take your time and he should be there.
Just as a side note, I had Stafford and Johnson last year and they helped me lose in the playoffs. No one is perfect.
