Golden Tate

Week 2 at New York Giants

Matthew Stafford threw four scores last week in the team's opener versus Arizona; however, Golden Tate was held out of the end zone. Owners should not feel too bad, though, as Tate led the Lions with 12 targets, resulting in 10 grabs for 107 yards. He also had 2 rushes for 7 yards. It’s clear the coaching staff and Stafford want to get the ball in Tate’s hands as often as possible. He should remain in your starting lineup for the Monday night affair with the Giants.

Fantasy Upside

Despite getting off to a slow start last season, Golden Tate would record a team-high 91 catches for over 1,000 yards and four TDs. In his first three seasons with the Lions, Tate has not missed a game, averaging 93 receptions and totaling over 3,200 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Fantasy Downside

During the first five weeks last season, Tate was held out of the end zone and totaled only 17 grabs. While he received double-digit targets seven times in 2016, he finished with just three 100-yard games (one during the first 10 contests). In the 10 games Theo Riddick was active last year, Tate's targets took a considerable hit –- 10.3 in games Riddick missed versus just 7.3 when he was on the field.

2017 Bottom Line

Even though he turned 29 at the beginning of the preseason, Tate still has breakaway speed and the quickness to make defenders miss. He and Matthew Stafford have a good rapport, so look for him to have another solid season, where he should once again eclipse 90 catches with a handful of touchdowns.

Week 17 vs. Green Bay
In the loss to the Cowboys last Monday, Golden Tate caught all six of his targets for 58 yards. TE Eric Ebron led the Lions with eight grabs for 93 yards, but Golden continues to get plenty of looks from Matthew Stafford. He finished with four receptions for 40 yards in the loss to the Packers in September.