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Lions at Seahawks

Time: 4:05 PM ET   TV: FOX Location: Qwest Field - Seattle, WA  

SEAHAWKS (3-7-0)

LIONS (2-8-0)

  Matt Hasselbeck

QB
Most of the Seahawks are going to be decent plays this week, even if they aren't typically easy to start. Hasselbeck is one of those guys. I'm willing to start almost anyone against the Lions defense at this point, which means he moves into my lineup this weekend.
  Projections
Cmp/Att PaYd PaTd Int RuYd RuTd FP
20/35 239 2 1 -1 0 17.1

  Matthew Stafford

QB
I'm not to the point where I can start the rookie yet, which isn't as much an indictment against him as much as it is a statement against the entire offense in Detroit right now. I'm sure he'll be a solid quarterback in this league in time, but now is not that time.
  Projections
Cmp/Att PaYd PaTd Int RuYd RuTd FP
14/29 185 1 1 -0 0 10.0

  Julius Jones

RB
With Edgerrin James no longer lingering around, Jones will get even more touches this week against one of the worst run defenses in football. That sounds good to me. There won't be many other times I say he's a RB1, so start him while you can.
  Projections
RuAtt RuYd RuTd Rec RecYd RecTd FP
15 66 1 3 28 0 13.1

  Kevin Smith

RB
He was hurt last week and got no time at all. Going on the road this Sunday, it'll be hard for anyone to confidently plug him back in their lineups. I know I couldn't do it, unless I absolutely had no other options.
  Projections
RuAtt RuYd RuTd Rec RecYd RecTd FP
15 50 0 3 24 0 8.8

  Justin Forsett

RB
No more Edge means more action for the emerging Forsett, whose improvement is probably the main reason James is gone now. I wouldn't say he's a fantasy option quite yet, but he's definitely the future in Seattle.
  Projections
RuAtt RuYd RuTd Rec RecYd RecTd FP
2 10 0 0 0 0 1.7

  Maurice Morris

RB
He wasn't all that terrible in Smith's place last week, putting up 82 total yards on 15 touches. That won't be the case anymore, however, so he's back to being a backup on one of the NFL's worst teams. Leave him alone.
  Projections
RuAtt RuYd RuTd Rec RecYd RecTd FP
12 52 0 1 7 0 7.6

  Nate Burleson

WR
Despite Houshmandzadeh's presence, Burleson's the No. 1 receiver on this team, for whatever reason. It has to be the comfort level between him and Hasselbeck. That's the only thing I can think of. Because of that, he needs to be started.
  Projections
Rec RecYd RecTd FP
6 77 0       10.3

  Bryant Johnson

WR
He's been a servicable guy at times this year, but he's certainly not a weekly fantasy starter by any means. In fact, now that Calvin Johnson is back, I wouldn't wanna be counting on Bryant to put up any kind of big numbers.
  Projections
Rec RecYd RecTd FP
3 43 0       5.2

  T.J. Houshmandzadeh

WR
Housh is upset, and rightfully so. He's good enough to be the No. 1 guy on most teams in the NFL, and the Seahawks are one of those teams. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out that way, and I'm torn with it since I own him in several leagues. In some of them, I've benched him. Against the Lions, I'm gonna give him another shot.
  Projections
Rec RecYd RecTd FP
4 52 0       7.3

  Dennis Northcutt

WR
Northcutt went without a reception last week, which is even more disappointing than normal considering the team was already without Calvin Johnson. That meant Northcutt was a starter and still couldn't get anything done. As a backup again this week, he's obviosuly unstartable.
  Projections
Rec RecYd RecTd FP
0 0 0       0.1

  Deion Branch

WR
Branch actually managed to find the end zone last week, which is pretty amazing. It hasn't happened often the last few years, and I don't see it becoming a habit, either. He'll still be on my bench again this week.
  Projections
Rec RecYd RecTd FP
2 17 0       2.8

  Calvin Johnson

WR
Megatron is back and ready to make some moves against the Seattle secondary. If you own him, you definitely need to be plugging him back in there, hoping for the best against the team with the least amount of interceptions in football.
  Projections
Rec RecYd RecTd FP
4 58 0       7.1

  John Carlson

TE
How often will Carlson be used this week? He hasn't had a TD since Week 1, and has only had more than three receptions once since Week 2. Those make me worry a little bit, to the point where I'm finding other options for him right now.
  Projections
Rec RecYd RecTd FP
4 53 0       7.1

  Brandon Pettigrew

TE
Fourteen catches in seven games isn't going to get it done for most fantasy owners. It's a decent number for a rookie on this team, and he could be a project for next season, but leave him alone for the time being.
  Projections
Rec RecYd RecTd FP
2 26 0       3.1

  Olindo Mare

K
What can I say? I've been ripping Mare for about 4-5 years now, but he's finally found a place that uses him more than he should, which is getting him more points than he should. The end result? He's back to being a starting kicker in this league. I never thought I'd have to write that sentence ever again.
  Projections
XPM/XPA 0-29 30-39 40-49 50+ FP
3/3 0 1 1 0   8.5

  Jason Hanson

K
I've always been a fan of Hanson, and he still has one of the biggest legs in football. Because of that, the team isn't afraid to let him boot 50-yarders more often than anyone else. That's good enough for me.
  Projections
XPM/XPA 0-29 30-39 40-49 50+ FP
1/1 0 1 1 0   7.4

  Seahawks
D/ST
Any team going against the Lions is a solid defensive choice right now. Matt Stafford doesn't have the O-line to compete at the moment, and he's getting run into the ground because of it. I'm spot-starting this defense in several leagues this week, and I recommend you do the same.
  Projections
PA Yds Allowed Sack Int FumR Td FP
15 299 2 1 0 0 6.8
  Lions
D/ST
There aren't many instances where I'd recommend the Lions defense to play for your team, and I'm certainly not about to start now, not on the road. The Seahawks lost badly last week and will be motivated to score a lot of points in front of the home fans on Sunday.
  Projections
PA Yds Allowed Sack Int FumR Td FP
23 348 3 1 0 0 5.6

Projected Final Score
25   14
Other Matchups:
• Bears 23, Cardinals 19
• Jaguars 24, Chiefs 18
• Saints 34, Panthers 19
• 49ers 23, Titans 17
• Bengals 23, Ravens 20
• Patriots 25, Dolphins 18
• Seahawks 25, Lions 14
• Eagles 28, Cowboys 26
• Falcons 26, Redskins 14
• Colts 28, Texans 22
• Packers 28, Buccaneers 17
• Chargers 23, Giants 20
• Steelers 21, Broncos 18
Player analysis: Commentary is written by FOXSports.com fantasy analysts John Juhasz and Gerrit Ritt.
Projections: Determined solely by the statistical results of 61 game simulations provided by WhatIfSports.com.
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Statistical Information provided by: STATS LLC
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