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Happy Monday RotoBallers! Another week, another Monday.
This season hasn't quite gone as planned for the Green Bay Packers. One of the preseason favorites to reach Super Bowl LII (that's 52), there's been a bit of a change of plans. Ever since lord and savior Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone in Week 6, the focus has shifted from how they can best set themselves up for the playoffs to how they can try to keep things alive until Rodgers returns (if he does at all). Coming off a bye week and two straight losses, Brett Hundley will look to get things back on track as the Packers look to avoid falling a full two games behind the division-leading Vikings.
On the flip side, the Lions are looking to take advantage of the Packers new misfortune. A win tonight would pull Detroit even with the Packers in the NFC North at 4-4, with the Browns and Bears upcoming before hosting Minnesota in Week 12. And while it's probably hard to call any Week 9 game must win, it certainly feels that way if the Lions want to make a possible playoff push. Matthew Stafford is coming off his first 400+ yard performance since October 2015, and he looks to continue his strong start to the season on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.
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Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
Date and Start Time: Monday, November 6th at 8:30 p.m. EST
Game Spread: Lions -1
Notable Injuries and Status:
- Martellus Bennett (TE, GB) - Shoulder - Doubtful
- Damarious Randall (CB, GB) - Hamstring/Illness - Questionable
- Greg Robinson (OT, DET) - Ankle - OUT
- Kenny Golladay (WR, DET) - Hamstring - Doubtful
- Ezekiel Ansah (DE, DET) - Knee - Questionable
Offensive and Defensive Rankings (based on per game stats through Week 8):
| Lions | Packers | |
| Passing Yards | 12th | 21st |
| Rushing Yards | 28th | 20th |
| Pass Defense | 26th | 16th |
| Run Defense | 6th | 27th |
Must Starts
Top Players That You Should Have In Your Lineup
Golden Tate (WR, DET)
Tate defied the odds last week against Pittsburgh by suiting up just two weeks after a pretty nasty shoulder injury. Expected to be out for multiple weeks, he instead will be extending his consecutive games played streak to 87 tonight. He didn't miss a beat in his return last week either, hauling in 7 catches for 86 yards on 8 targets. Catching almost 80% of passes thrown his way this year, he remains one of Stafford's top targets and continues to be a strong play in PPR leagues.
Jordy Nelson (WR, GB)
This is an interesting one, but with all of the bye weeks and injuries present, there's very little chance you aren't starting Nelson this week if you have him. That said, I get the hesitation. Hundley has looked anything but comfortable under center, and Jordy finished with just 1 catch last week against New Orleans as a result. He's still been one of the most consistent receivers in all of football over the last few seasons, and Detroit's defense is one of the worst in football. Don't expect WR1 numbers until Rodgers is back, but I wouldn't flat out bench Jordy either.
Matthew Stafford (QB, DET)
Consistency goes a long way at the quarterback position, and Stafford has been just that through eight games. He's taken good care of the ball with just four interceptions (three of them in one game, where he also happened to throw three touchdowns), and has thrown for 300+ yards in each of his last two games. No Aaron Rodgers means that tonight is less likely to be a shootout, but you have to like the game script for Stafford with Hundley opposing him. Fire him up as a QB1 in a week where CJ Beathard is the QB11 heading into Monday night.
Must Sits
Players To Avoid Putting In Your Lineup
Randall Cobb (WR, GB) and Ty Montgomery (RB, GB)
Everyone in the Packers offense gets a downwards bump with the quarterback change, but nobody more so than Cobb and Montgomery. Cobb was only catching a handful of passes when Rodgers was healthy, and there's only so many options that are going to get fed in bulk in the offense right now. The same goes for Montgomery, who has also seen a drastic decrease in touches since the emergence of Aaron Jones (see section below). Both Cobb and Montgomery have big play ability, but there are much safer options.
All Lions RBs
A full blown RBBC (running back by committee), the Detroit backfield is flat out one to avoid right now. Ameer Abdullah continues to lead the group in both snaps and touches, but he's doing so at an impressively poor efficiency. Averaging 3.7 yards per carry, he's found the end zone just one time this year and has under 15 touches in two of his last three. Theo Riddick is the passing down back of choice and typically comes very close to Abdullah's weekly snap count, but even he is averaging under seven touches per game. And all the meanwhile, Dwayne Washington is coming off a season-high in snaps and touches. Abdullah is the preferred play here if you have no choice just based on the highest floor, but stay far away if you can.
Solid Options/Sleepers
Which Players Will Have Solid Games and Which Could Surprise?
Solid Option - Marvin Jones (WR, DET)
Averaging 12.5 targets, 6 catches, and 112 yards over the last two games, Jones has quickly gotten back to 2016 form. The logjam at running back means the Lions are going to heavily lean on the pass game, and it's hard not to trust the team's most reliable receiver right now.
Solid Option - Aaron Jones (RB, GB)
Talk about making the most out of an opportunity. Ever since Ty Montgomery's rib injury in late September, Jones has taken control of the Packers lead back role, and has done so in impressive fashion. Looking for his third 100+ yard rushing in four games, he's a lock for 15-20+ touches with Hundley under center.
Solid Option - Davante Adams (WR, GB)
Similar to Jordy, this is a tough one given the change in quarterback, but Adams touchdown rate has been impressive this year and somebody other than Nelson is going to catch passes. He's probably nothing more than a WR3, but Adams should catch at least a few passes and always has a decent chance of finding the end zone.
Sleeper - TJ Jones (WR, DET)
If you can't tell, I am pretty bullish on the Lions passing attack (in general, not just tonight). With Kenny Golladay likely to remain inactive tonight, the other Jones in Detroit will look to build on two straight weeks with 8+ targets. He has yet to score a touchdown this year and there's some obvious risk involved, but I'd rather take a chance tonight with Stafford's #3 WR over guys like Montgomery and Cobb.
