GAME CAPSULES WEEK 16 SATURDAY MATCHUPS by Matt Wilson Fantasysharks.Com Senior Writer TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (9-5) DETROIT LIONS (5-9)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
GAME CAPSULES WEEK 16 SATURDAY MATCHUPS By Matt Wilson FantasySharks.com Senior Writer TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (9-5) DETROIT LIONS (5-9) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26 TH 1 :00 P.M. ET FORD FIELD DETROIT, MI LINE: TB – 1 0 .0 OVER/UNDER: 53.0 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Ronald Jones (finger, reserve/COVID-19) BYE: Week 13 The New Orleans Saints clinched the NFC South on Christmas day by pounding the Minnesota Vikings 52-33 on the awesome strength of Alvin Kamara’s record-tying six rushing touchdown performance, so it’s Wild Card or bust for the 9-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They’ll make the postseason if they defeat the Detroit Lions or if the Chicago Bears lose to the Jacksonville Jagaurs. The Lions will have Matthew Stafford (ribs, thumb) but won’t have interim head coach Darrell Bevell or virtually the entire defensive coaching staff for COVID-19 protocol reasons. QUARTERBACK MATCHUP Tom Brady’s best fantasy outings have come on the road this season. Even though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have success running the ball against the Detroit Lions, pass-happy head coach Bruce Arians won’t dial back the throwing. Since Week 12, the Lions have hemorrhaged the fourth-most passing yards and the most touchdown strikes. RUNNING BACK MATCHUP Ronald Jones (finger, reserve/COVID-19) will miss his second straight game. Tampa Bay used Leonard Fournette in a workhorse role against the Atlanta Falcons last week. He racked up 14 carries for 49 yards and two touchdowns, and caught three passes for 16 yards on five targets. Detroit’s defense has coughed up the third-most rushing yards and the second-most rushing touchdowns on the season. Fournette won’t do an Alvin Kamara (Saints) impersonation but could rack up his best fantasy outing of the season. WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUP During the last month, the Lions have permitted the second-most receiving yards, the fifth-most touchdown grabs and the second-most fantasy points to wideouts, and they won’t have their top- two cornerbacks, Desmond Trufant and Jeffery Okudah, once again. Scoring machine Mike Evans likely will face undrafted free agent Alexander Myres while Chris Godwin draws an equally favorable matchup against Justin Coleman. It looks like Antonio Brown has the most challenging draw versus Amani Oruwariye, but it’s not a shy-away matchup. I like Brown’s chances to find the end zone for the second week in a row. TIGHT END MATCHUP In his last seven games, Rob Gronkowski, averaging 6.1 targets per contest, either scored or racked up a 100-yard performance in four games but managed a combined six receptions for 56 scoreless yards in the other three. During the last month, the Lions defense was ranked just 14th in fantasy points allowed to tight ends and yielded two scores to the position in its last three outings. You’re probably starting Gronk no matter what. We didn’t project a touchdown grab for him, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he hit paydirt. WEEK 16 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PASS PASS RUSH RUSH REC REC PLAYER REC YDS TD YDS TD YDS TD QB Tom Brady 354 3 0 0 RB Ronald Jones -- -- -- -- -- -- -- RB Leonard Fournette 100 2 3 24 0 RB LeSean McCoy 20 0 2 17 0 RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn 10 0 0 0 0 WR Mike Evans 6 100 1 WR Chris Godwin 6 88 1 WR Antonio Brown 4 53 1 WR Scotty Miller 1 12 0 WR Justin Watson 0 0 0 TE Rob Gronkowski 4 50 0 TE Cameron Brate 1 10 0 FGM FGA XPM XPA PTS PK Ryan Succop 2 2 5 5 12 P/A SK INT FUM TD DT Buccaneers 27 5 1 1 0 PREVIOUS MATCHUP: 2019 Regular Season – Week 15 Tampa Bay routed Detroit 38-17 at Ford Field. Jameis Winston (Saints) passed for 458-4-1 and rushed for 2-4-0. Ronald Jones compiled an 11-23-0 rushing line and a 1-26-0 receiving line (3 targets). Peyton Barber (Wash.) amassed a 10-17-0 rushing line and a 2-23-0 rec. line (2 targets). Mike Evans missed the game because of a hamstring injury. Chris Godwin caught five passes for 121 yards (8 targets). Breshad Perriman (Jets) reeled in five balls for 113 yards and three scores (6 targets). Scott Miller made three grabs for 49 yards and one touchdown (3 targets). DETROIT LIONS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Matthew Stafford (thumb, ribs), Kenny Golladay (hip) BYE: Week 5 After watching the 5-9 Detroit Lions get destroyed 46-25 by the Tennessee Titans last week, it’s clear that the emotional bump the team experienced following the firing of unpopular head coach Matt Patricia has faded. Matthew Stafford (ribs, thumb), always tough as nails, is expected to play. However, interim head coach Darrell Bevell and virutally the entire defensive coaching staff will miss the game because of COVID-19 protocol reasons. Wide receivers coach Robert Prince will serve as interim head coach while quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan will call the plays for the first time in his career. Yup, this situation has the all the makings of a train wreck. QUARTERBACK MATCHUP Matthew Stafford (ribs, thumb) has usually racked up his best fantasy outings at home this season unless the opponent is the Green Bay Packers. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense, since Week 12, has allowed the 11th-most passing yards and the 12th-most touchdown tosses, and the Bucs will be missing No. 1 cornerback Carlton Davis. Stafford is banged up but still playing well enough to light it up in this plus matchup. Keep in mind that one big hit to his tender ribs could knock Stafford out of the game. RUNNING BACK MATCHUP As the Lions’ goal-line tailback, D’Andre Swift has scored four times in his last three games and has toted the rock at least 13 times in three of his last four outings. During the last two weeks, Adrian Peterson has taken a back seat to Swift, amassing a combined 11 touches. Tampa Bay’s defense, since Week 12, has permitted the fewest rushing yards and just one rushing score to a tailback. The Buccaneers, however, have yielded the 14th-most catches to the position, which is why I like Swift’s chances for a receiving score. WIDE RECEIVER MATCHUP Kenny Golladay (hip) will miss his eighth consecutive game, and Tampa Bay’s top cornerback, Carlton Davis, will miss the game, as noted. During the last month, the Buccaneers have coughed up the most wideout fantasy points. With Davis out, Marvin Jones is a much safer play. Danny Amendola hasn’t scored in 2020 and has been good for moderate yardage more times than not. He faces the weak link in the Tampa Bay secondary – slot cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting. Mohamed Sanu hasn’t scored or cleared 40 receiving yards in four straight. Jones is the only reliable play. TIGHT END MATCHUP Last week T.J. Hockenson, the fantasy TE4 in PPR formats, posted just two catches for 18 yards on four targets versus a Tennessee Titans defense that had been getting trashed by tight ends. Give Hockenson another chance versus a Buccaneers defense that has surrendered the third-most tight end fantasy points during the last month. Hockenson has either scored or cleared 65 receiving yards in five of his last seven outings. WEEK 16 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PASS PASS RUSH RUSH REC REC PLAYER REC YDS TD YDS TD YDS TD QB Matthew Stafford 288 3 0 0 RB D’Andre Swift 50 0 6 45 1 RB Adrian Peterson 24 0 0 0 0 RB Kerryon Johnson 12 0 2 17 0 WR Kenny Golladay -- -- -- -- -- -- -- WR Marvin Jones 6 80 1 WR Danny Amendola 6 50 0 WR Quintez Cephus 1 10 0 WR Mohamed Sanu 4 30 0 TE T.J. Hockenson 6 50 1 TE Jesse James 1 6 0 FGM FGA XPM XPA PTS PK Matt Prater 2 2 3 3 9 P/A SK INT FUM TD DT Lions 41 3 0 0 0 PREVIOUS MATCHUP: 2019 Regular Season – Week 15 Detroit was blown out by Tampa Bay 38-17 at Ford Field. Matthew Stafford missed the game because of broken bones in his back. David Blough threw for 260-0-2 and rushed for 5-19-0. Kerryon Johnson sat out the contest due to a knee injury. Wes Hills amassed a 10-21-2 rushing line and a 2-1-0 receiving line (2 targets). Kenny Golladay made three grabs for 44 yards (7 targets). Marvin Jones missed the game because of an ankle injury. Danny Amendola hauled in eight passes for 102 yards (13 targets). T.J. Hockenson sat out the contest because of an ankle injury. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-9) ARIZONA CARDINALS (8-6) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26 TH 4 :30 P.M. ET STATE FARM STADIUM GLENDALE, AZ LINE: ARZ – 5 .0 OVER/UNDER: 48.5 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Jimmy Garoppolo (high-ankle sprain), Nick Mullens (throwing elbow), Raheem Mostert (ankle), Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Richie James (ankle), George Kittle (foot) BYE: Week 11 The San Francisco 49ers lost to the Dallas Cowboys last week to pick up loss number nine on the season and clinch a losing record. Injuries have taken huge a toll on a defense that has coughed up a combined 98 points during the last three weeks. George Kittle was expected to make his return following a six-game layoff due to a foot injury.