The Week 10 matchup between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers features one team basically riding out the rest of the season and another that needs to get back on track fast. We've got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Detroit Lions
Few would have expected the Lions to be sitting on one victory going into Week 10, but that's exactly where the team finds itself. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson struggled early in the season and although his numbers have been somewhat better lately, he's just not looking like the Megatron of old. Johnson has touchdowns in two of his last three games, but he's surpassed 100 yards receiving just once this season. It's a good thing he still holds some value in PPR leagues in spite of his subpar totals. Johnson has at least five catches in all but one game this year.
A lot of Johnson's struggles have to do with the team's offensive line and the equally prevailing struggles of quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford didn't see eye-to-eye with his old offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi all year. Even with Lombardi gone, Stafford continued to struggle against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9, throwing for two interceptions and just one touchdown to go with only 217 passing yards. He'll need to be better in order to compete against the high-octane offense of the Green Bay Packers.
Green Bay Packers
Teams favored to win the Super Bowl coming into the season don't usually find themselves in any sort of disarray going into Week 10, but the Packers showed signs of that in Carolina last week with teammates arguing on the sidelines. Fortunately for fantasy owners, it didn't affect the numbers of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He provided owners with a fantasy feast in a losing effort, throwing for a season-high 369 yards and four touchdowns in trying to mount a comeback. Such is life in fake football. The actual results of a game don't always matter. The good news is that after facing the Denver Broncos and Panthers back to back, Rodgers gets the woeful Lions this week.
Hopefully it means a second straight solid effort from wide receiver Randall Cobb. He had gone four straight games without a touchdown or a yardage total above 44 yards before catching four passes for 99 yards and his fifth touchdown of the season last week. Cobb certainly isn't producing at a clip most fantasy owners thought he would when teammate Jordy Nelson tore his ACL in the preseason. A home game against Detroit presents a much better opportunity for fantasy production than Cobb has been given in recent weeks. Hopefully he continues to build on his recent momentum.
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SB Nation presents: Jim Caldwell can't save the Lions