The NFL has a bad habit of playing favorites with teams when creating the schedule. They create these high expectations for teams on the rise heading into the season. We’ve seen this in years past; the Russell Wilson-led Denver Broncos from a few seasons ago saw a large number of primetime games that were painful to watch. The Chargers had six prime time games last year, and now it feels like it’s time for the Detroit Lions to be this years sweet heart team.
The Detroit Lions odds this season suggest they are in for a good season. They’re projected to win over/under 10.5 games coming off an impressive season last year. They are the NFC North Favorites (+120) for the first time in decades, leading to a lot of hype for fantasy mangers and fans of the team.
The Lions open the season at home versus the LA Rams in week one. They also have prime-time games against the Seahawks in week 4, the Texans in week 10, the Packers in week 14, and the 49ers in week 17. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs are both in the elite group of fantasy targets in drafts this year, but my concern is the hype might be too much for the team to handle.
Despite ranking middle of the pack in the strength of schedule on a number of NFL sites, the Lions on paper, have a difficult season. The Lions face a number of teams that are coming off injured plague season or seem to be facing off against a lot of teams that are on the way up.
Lions 2024 Schedule
- Los Angeles Rams – Tough season opener, Stafford travels to Detroit.
- Tampa Bay Bucs – Young team on the rise with a shifty Baker at QB who has found a home with the Bucs
- @Arizona Cardinals – A loaded offensive team with a healthy Kyler under center.
- Seattle Seahawks – Seahawks play well in Prime Time games, not a piece of cake matchup.
- BYE WEEK
- @ Dallas Cowboys – Off a bye is good, but another tough test for Lions DEF
- @ Minnesota Vikings – Should win, but back-to-back road games
- Tennessee Titans – Winnable game
- @Green Bay Packers – Divisional rival, tough matchup
- @Houston Texans – Texans are a team on the rise; also this is the 4th road game in 5 weeks
- Jacksonville Jaguars – Winnable game, but the Jaguars are improving
- @Indianapolis Colts – Another AFC South team with a lot of young players
- Chicago Bears – Thanksgiving (short week) + first matchup against Caleb Williams
- Green Bay Packers – Nice home stretch here, must-win games though
- Buffalo Bills – Tough AFC opponent likely fighting for the division
- @Chicago Bears – Cold December game, won’t be easy
- @San Fransisco – One of the NFC’s best defenses
- Minnesota Vikings – Winnable game
I’m being extremely critical; the Lions are a great team and should make the playoffs in 2024. However, I have a bad feeling about this season and the way the NFL has set them up with the schedule. Getting the early bye week and playing only one road game in the first six weeks of the season leaves Detroit with a difficult half back stretch.
Fantasy Impact
Obviously, NFL team’s wins don’t matter in fantasy football, but high-scoring games do. The Lions could find themselves battling for a division win right down to the final few games of the year. This is exactly what you want. As long as this team can stay healthy, I think the Detroit Lions have a chance to be one of the highest-scoring teams of the 2024 season. However, I don’t like the win total. If I had to make a prediction, I would say they win nine games this year.
