2014 Record: 11-5
2015 Non Division Opponents: AFC West, NFC West, Philadelphia, & St. Louis
2014 in review: Despite Calvin Johnson missing time during the season, the Lions managed to go 11-5. Matthew Stafford finally had a viable #2 option with the emergence of Golden Tate, and Joique Bell had an impressive season running the ball. The ride ended with a playoff loss in Dallas, but it was an inspired season in the Motor City.
2015 offseason: Ndamukong Suh left for the cash in South Beach. Detroit was not going to match that offer, so that was a foregone conclusion. The Lions cap situation dictated that move as much as anything. The Lions replaced him as best they could, and made a great trade with Baltimore to land Haloti Ngata. Ngata isn’t Suh, but he isn’t a scrub either.
2015 Draft: The Lions went offense in the draft, and may have nabbed two starters. Guard Laken Tomlinson is already locked in on the line, but it’s the second round pick that is garnering all the attention. Running Back Ameer Abdullah out of Nebraska is becoming quite the fantasy sleeper during this preseason. He will likely not out seat Joique Bell, but he may fill in nicely in the role Reggie Bush had in Detroit for the last couple of seasons.
Player on the hot seat: Matthew Stafford has never been an accurate thrower, but he needs to improve his 60.3% completion percentage from last year. Stafford tends to lock in on Calvin Johnson, and the Lions need him to trust the rest of his teammates. Stafford isn’t in any danger of losing his job, but he needs to make a leap so the Lions can as well.
Players you want on your fantasy team: I think you will be disappointed if you end up with Stafford in fantasy this season. That 41 Touchdown pass campaign was four years ago. The Lions are not that team anymore. They will run the ball with Bell, and pound it inside the red zone. Calvin Johnson will continue to be out of this world, but Golden Tate was the best fantasy bet in Detroit last year. Will he match last year’s 99 catch, 1,300 yard season from a year ago? Perhaps not, but he’s valued in drafts as he will not. He is worth the gamble, especially as your #2 WR. Bell will be a solid RB2, and keep an eye on the aforementioned Abdullah, even though everybody else is.
Season Prediction: The schedule maker was not kind to the Lions. At San Diego, At Minnesota, Denver, At Seattle, and Arizona. That is the makings of a 1-4 start, something that is very difficult to dig yourself out of. However, if they can do that, the schedule eases up down the stretch. SFTB prediction: After a slow start, the Lions win 6 of their last 7 and finish 10-6.