Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder Friday. Specifically, Dr. James Andrews repaired Stafford's right AC joint and shaved his clavicle. "Matthew's procedure today was very successful," Andrews said in a statement released by the Lions. "It went very well. We now have plenty of time for a full recovery in order for him to get ready for next season. The procedure is the same one that we have successfully performed on a number of NFL quarterbacks. Matthew has one of the strongest arms in the league and I am confident that he will be as strong as ever." Head coach Jim Schwartz also expressed optimism, echoing Andrews' belief that Stafford will be fine in time for the 2011 season -- if there is one. "Matt decided to have the surgery now in order to ensure that he will have plenty of time to recover and rehab prior to the 2011 season. We have full confidence that Matt will be 100 percent before the start of training camp."

Fantasy Analysis:

Stafford's could have continued to rehab the shoulder without going under the knife, but the risk of re-injury would have been higher. I still consider Stafford a great sleeper QB with top-12 potential for next season with Calvin Johnson and others around. But we'll have to see how he recovers from this operation and he has to remain healthy. Through his first two seasons, that hasn't been the case as Stafford has played in just 13 of 32 games.