TE Will Heller - Detroit Lions

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Week 15: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

All TE vs TB

FBG says: Great matchup. Detroit's passing volume continues to rank near the top of the NFL leaderboards regardless of which quarterback is under center; however, their efficiency through the air has taken a significant dive with backup quarterbacks at the helm. Last weekend, David Blough, in just his second career start, posted a measly 205 passing yards on 40 passing attempts, with 1 score and 2 interceptions to go along with the yardage. Since Detroit's original starter, Matthew Stafford went down with a back injury, the Lions' offense has been unable to sustain the production of two top-end fantasy wide receivers: Marvin Jones, Jr. and Kenny Golladay. Since Stafford suffered his potentially-season-ending injury, Danny Amendola, the team's starting slot receiver, has seen an uptick in receiving volume. Working on primarily short and intermediate routes, Amendola offers a safety blanket for David Blough when he has been overwhelmed by NFL defenses. Kenny Golladay's volume has remained relatively high, and since he works down the field more than any other Lions' receiver, his targets are typically very valuable for fantasy purposes. Marvin Jones, Jr. has seen a decrease in volume since Stafford got hurt, significantly damaging his value for fantasy purposes. In total, since the Detroit offense has been turned over to backup quarterbacks, the viability of Lions' pass-catchers across the board, aside from Danny Amendola, has decreased dramatically. Tampa Bay's pass defense this season has faced the highest volume of any team in the NFL, and their efficiency numbers have been poor to go along with that, producing some of the weakest overall pass defense numbers in the league. The Buccaneers have allowed the 2nd most passing yards, 4th most passing touchdowns, and forced only 9 interceptions on the season, which fosters a very fantasy-friendly environment for opposing passing attacks. Although Shaquil Barrett has been an incredible bright spot in the team's defense, as he leads the NFL in sacks with 15 on the season, he gets little support elsewhere, as the Bucs defense is littered with below-average pass defenders elsewhere. The Buccaneers have allowed 7 300-yard passing days and 9 100-yard receiving days this season, which makes for a soft matchup for David Blough and the Detroit Lions here in Week 15. Although Tampa Bay's performance has been better in recent weeks, especially since parting ways with Vernon Hargreaves, they still grade as a horrific unit all-around. As long as the Lions find a way to contain Shaquil Barrett on the edge, it could be a massive day for their struggling passing attack.

Weekly Performance vs TE 1, TE 12, TE 24

Percentile ranks

Will Heller's percentile rank in each category, among TE with more than 50 fantasy points.

Detroit Lions Team Links

Schedule