Of all of the fantasy football matchups at BookMaker Sportsbook in Week 4, perhaps the most intriguing is the one between Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford. Theoretically, the Detroit Lions should be throwing the ball a heck of a lot more, providing plenty of opportunities for Stafford to get yards and eventually touchdowns, but the Seattle Seahawks are still right on the verge of being double-digit favorites and should have more touchdowns overall for Wilson.
We'll start with Wilson in this game, as he should have his hands on the ball a bit more than Stafford. That doesn't necessarily mean more throws and more touchdowns, but it's generally a good indicator of a better fantasy game.
Wilson generally hasn't been all that special when it comes to fantasy football. By BookMaker standards, Wilson was modest at best, averaging 22.17 fantasy points per game. That's not a bad total, but the fact of the matter is that so many of his great games were due to his legs. Those 118 carries and 849 yards on the ground in 2015 were nothing to sneeze at.
Thus far in 2015, Wilson has only been good for 21.48 fantasy points per game, but his touchdown production is down. If the fourth-year man can figure out how to get a couple more balls in the end zone, he could become a legitimate fantasy asset.
The Lions have been generous to quarterbacks and opposing offenses thus far this season, allowing at least 24 points and at least two total touchdowns to all three quarterbacks who they have faced. Clearly, Wilson is going to be favored to have at least two touchdowns in this game, especially if Marshawn Lynch is limited for the second consecutive game thanks to a hamstring injury.
Last week with Lynch sidelined for much of the game, Wilson had 20 completions and six rushing attempts, which is higher than we are seeing between those two categories for the most part. What really makes Lynch's potential absence more notable is play at the goal line. We've already seen the Seahawks throw the ball down in tight a lot this year, and that could give Wilson more opportunities for touchdowns.
As tempting as it might be to fade away on Wilson here against a pass-happy Stafford, we don't see this game ending well for the Lions.
Yes, Stafford has had a history of being fantastic. We're only a few years removed from him averaging almost 27 fantasy points per game, and last season, things weren't so bad with him averaging 18.71 fantasy points per game.
Even this year, Stafford, in spite of his five picks in three games, is averaging 19.73 fantasy points per game.
That said, this is a really bad matchup for the Detroit offense. The rushing attack isn't doing anything to help Stafford out. His offensive line has been woeful all season long, and that's preventing Stafford from getting the ball down the field, and it's getting him crushed standing in the pocket.
Worse for Stafford in this game is that we know the Seahawks have it out for Golden Tate, a man who has complained that defensive backs know what the Lions' offensive plays are. Parlay that with Richard Sherman locking down Calvin Johnson, and all of a sudden, this offense looks like it might be suffering a bad fate on Monday Night Football.
No, we don't expect to see the Seahawks posting a shutout once again this week as we saw last week against Chicago, but it's a lot less believable that Stafford has any chance to beat out Wilson no matter whether we're talking about the actual game or the fantasy football matchup.
The NFL odds for this Monday contest were first released by BookMaker, and the Seattle Seahawks were positioned as 9-point favorites with a total of 43. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions will take place Monday, October 5, 2015, at 8:30 p.m. ET at CenturyLink Field. The game will be televised on ESPN.
