Thursday Night Football returns to its island-game normalcy tonight after a turkey-shaped respite, and it returns with a vengeance. Fantasy football managers will be treated to one hell of a divisional matchup when the 9-3 Packers visit the 11-1 Lions at Ford Field.
The Lions have been a nigh-unstoppable force this season and look poised to not only win the NFC North, but the entire conference. The Packers are no slouches either; their last loss came nearly a month ago — to these same Lions.
Let me preface this by saying the following: if you came here for fantasy football advice, you won't find it. Why? Simply because this is one of those games and one of those weeks where, if you have better options than the fantasy stars playing in this game, then I am jealous of your roster.
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Put differently, there are a whopping six teams on bye this week, when many fantasy managers are trying to make the playoffs in their leagues. We're missing the likes of Jayden Daniels, Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Terry McLaurin, Nico Collins, Jonathan Taylor — you get the point.
You think I'm gonna sit here and tell you not to start Jameson Williams or Christian Watson because they're boom-or-bust? That I'd convince you to start someone other than Sam LaPorta because he's not delivering the way he did last season? And you're damn right I'm starting Tucker Kraft. Josh Jacobs, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are in this game, too!
It would be pointless for me to mention that Jordan Love has 11 picks on the season (one of which he threw to these same Lions), or that Jared Goff's first crappy game of a two-game stretch of crappy games came against these same Packers. You're still starting them both.
Shoot, if I had to choose between Dontayvion Wicks and someone like Quentin Johnston or Tre Tucker, yeah, it's Wicks time. (Romeo Doubs has been ruled out, too; just sayin'.)
The facts are the facts. This is a divisional matchup with huge playoff implications, with a projected game total of 51.5. In a dome. With two of the most offensively-gifted coaches (Ben Johnson, Matt LaFleur) squaring off, one of which coordinates the offense of who might just be the most aggressive head coach in the NFL. By rights, this game should sail over that total, and that means nearly every player of any fantasy note should be able to make an impact in some form or fashion.
Now, I'm not a full proponent of "Always start your stars," but considering the context of this week, I'd like to get as many Lions and Packers in my lineups as I can — barring, of course, if I somehow have CeeDee Lamb, Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson on one team, then, no, I will not be breaking ties for one of them over Christian Watson.
Now, let's just hope this game lives up to its billing, and we don't get another one of those divisional, each-team-knows-each-other, 17-14 games. I really hate late bye weeks. *Sigh*
