Fantasy Player Projections

Matt Ryan

Ryan has been a fantasy finisher: a quarterback playing his best at the perfect time for fantasy owners. He has averaged 306 yards and thrown five touchdowns over the past two weeks and should continue his hot streak through Week 16 against a Lions team coming off six straight losses.

Michael Turner

The numbers aren't pretty, but they have kept Turner in fantasy lineups. He has averaged 60.9 yards from scrimmage this season and has found the end zone in six of the past seven games. He should have one of his better games against a Lions defense giving up 4.6 yards per carry.

Jacquizz Rodgers

Rodgers is making a mess of his opportunity in Atlanta. He hasn't even matched Michael Turner's modest totals per carry, and he's been inconsistent as a receiver out of the backfield. He could see 15 touches this week, but it won't amount to much.

Julio Jones

Jones has now caught four touchdowns over the past four games and appears primed to make a strong playoff push. No one from New York's secondary could touch him last week. It's doubtful anyone on the Lions can, either.

Roddy White

White has been playing with a minor knee injury. He hasn't missed time and it shouldn't affect his performance against a secondary that had trouble with the likes of T.Y. Hilton and Donnie Avery only a few weeks ago.

Tony Gonzalez

The middle of the Lions' defense has been vulnerable in the second half of 2012, allowing a touchdown to an opposing tight end in four of the past six weeks.

Matt Bryant

Bryant is one of three NFL kickers with more than 35 field-goal attempts this season. He faces a point-friendly Lions defense this week: Detroit has allowed an average of 32.0 points during its recent six-game losing streak.

Calvin Johnson will get his yards, but the rest of the Detroit offense is nothing for Atlanta to worry about. The Falcons could have a nice week, especially since Detroit has given up three defensive scores in the past two games.

Matthew Stafford

Stafford has been throwing a ton, averaging 50.5 attempts over the past four weeks, but that hasn't led to fantasy success. Over the same period he has thrown an equal number of touchdowns and interceptions (five apiece), and fantasy owners should be concerned about his ever-shrinking list of capable receivers.

Mikel Leshoure

With Leshoure, you take the good with the bad. He has scored eight times, laregly in the second half of the season. But the yardage is minimal. The result is an average No. 3 back for fantasy owners.

Joique Bell

Last week, Bell's touches were limited in a game that ended up being a blowout. With another blowout on the horizon against the NFC's top seed, fantasy owners must expect another slow week from Bell.

Calvin Johnson

We're not sure why opposing teams even bother trying to cover Johnson. The Lions have no one else healthy who warrants defensive attention, and yet Johnson continues to rack up 100-yard games (seven in a row). Johnson's fantasy success is inevitable.

Kris Durham

Durham is seeing looks, just not making plays. Last week he caught one of five balls thrown to him for 14 yards. He's really a No. 5 receiver playing the role of No. 2 due to Detroit's rash of injuries.

Tony Scheffler

Brandon Pettigrew's high-ankle sprain will likely keep him out another week. Scheffler finished second on the team in every significant receiving category last week (seven targets) and yet wasn't worth a whole lot to fantasy owners.

Jason Hanson

They don't make it easy for Hanson. The 42-year-old kicker has made a field goal of 40 or more yards in 11 of his 14 games this season, and his 21 attempts from 40-plus lead the league. He still has the leg, and he's still a viable fantasy starter.

The Detroit defense is probably not as bad as it looks on paper. Take last week for example: The unit gave up 24 points but just 196 yards of offense. Still, fantasy owners should avoid bad luck as much as bad talent.