Monday October 5, 2015
Detroit Lions @ Seattle Seahawks

This may be a massacre. The winless Lions are traveling to Seattle to face a now complete and revitalized Legion of Boom. The Lions quarterback is banged up and their missing their starting running back, best all-around tight end and their top linebacker. It’s hard to imagine this one will be close. There is a good chance Marshawn Lynch won’t play either. Fantasy points may not be in abundance in this game.

Detroit Lions: Key Players
QB Matthew Stafford
Stafford has been taking a beating this season. Going up against the Legion of Boom isn’t going to help him out in anyway. The front seven is good, the secondary is better and it’s going to be a nightmare for the entire Lions offense, especially Stafford. Hopefully he makes it out of Seattle without having to get an X-ray of his chest cavity.
Verdict: Sit Stafford. There is no way he should be in your lineup this week. With Kam Chancellor back, this is the best defense in football. Look for this one to get ugly.

RB Ameer Abdullah
With Joique Bell ruled out, Abdullah is going to get some extra hype this week, as if he hasn’t had enough yet. Still, this is an awful matchup and Abdullah hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype this season. Look for the Seahawks to shut him down this week.
Verdict: Sit Abdullah. The Lions rushing attack has really been struggling this season. The loss of Brandon Pettigrew has really hurt their run blocking. Don’t buy the hype on Abdullah.

WR Calvin Johnson
Megatron is Megatron. He has a nightmare of a mismatch, nevertheless, he is a nightmare of a matchup. I don’t care if he’s double covered by Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas, you’re starting Johnson. When all the research and expertise fail, you play your best players.
Verdict: Start Johnson. You may want to temper expectation but you’re still playing him. Make no mistake, he’s still elite.

WR Golden Tate
Tate is a very underrated talent. He’s also the kind of guy that sometimes puts up a big game against the Seahawks. Smaller quick guys tend to give them problems at times. He could be a sneaky good play on Monday night. Although, he has disappointed to this point with only 15 catches for 161 yards on the season.
Verdict: Start Tate. He’s nothing more than a WR3 or flex option, nevertheless, I kind of like him this week. It’s nothing more than a gut feeling but he may have a better game than expected, especially with Johnson drawing so much attention.

TE Eric Ebron
Ebron has been a very pleasant surprise so far this season. Through three week he has 13 receptions for 157 yards and two TDs. This is a great start considering all last season he managed only 25 receptions for 248 yards and one TD. The concern is the Seahawks get physical and just beat up on Ebron.
Verdict: Start Ebron. This is a very tough matchup. Nonetheless, with all the injuries to tight ends, it’s hard to imagine there are a ton of leagues in which Ebron isn’t started.

Seattle Seahawks: Key Players
QB Russell Wilson
Wilson hasn’t quite lived up to expectations yet this season. Still, he is what most of us thought he was. He’s still racking up rushing yards and is making limited mistakes with solid numbers in the passing game. If you own Wilson, you likely drafted him very high and you’re rolling with him at this point.
Verdict: Start Wilson. The matchup is solid and he should continue to improve. The whole team seemed a bit off the first two weeks, but things seem to really be coming together. He’s a great option on Monday.

RB Marshawn Lynch
Lynch is questionable for Monday night’s game with a hamstring injury. It appears he is more likely to miss the game than to play. Last week he was active but only managed six carries. He is extremely risky this week and I honestly don’t think he’s going to play.
Verdict: Sit Lynch. He’s far too risky and questionable to roll the dice on for a Monday night game. If he doesn’t play you’re pretty screwed. The only way you should have him in your lineup is if you have him handcuffed with Thomas Rawls. If he is active though, there is no assurance he’ll see his usual workload.

RB Thomas Rawls
Rawls is actually a really solid option if Lynch can’t play. Again though, if Lynch is active, it could really mess everything up. Especially if he’s limited. If you have Rawls and Lynch, it may be worth rolling the dice and waiting until Monday night to pick your RB.
Verdict: Start Rawls. He is only start worthy if Lynch isn’t active.

WR Doug Baldwin
Baldwin is probably the top wideout in Seattle. He has 17 receptions for 162 yards and a TD this season. The Seahawks’ offense doesn’t make it easy for WRs to thrive and have a ton of fantasy value. While he’s the top option, he’s still not great.
Verdict: Sit Baldwin. It’s tough to start any Seahawks wideout. Rookie Tyler Lockett may actually offer the most upside in the WR corps. Especially if you receive points for return yards.

TE Jimmy Graham
Graham hasn’t been great this season but he’s still an elite TE1 and has begun to come on strong. Last week he caught seven passes for 83 yards and a TD. He won’t see as many targets as he did in New Orleans, nonetheless, he should begin to see more targets and continue to thrive in the red zone.
Verdict: Start Graham. Graham is still a no-doubt top five TE and should be started pretty much every week. Get him in your lineup.

Final Score
Detroit: 10
Seattle: 31

Best Play
Lions: Calvin Johnson
Seahawks: Russell Wilson

Sleeper
Tyler Lockett

**Bonus Deep Sleeper**

Zach Zenner