Diontae Johnson Injury: Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Replacement Pickups (Week 2)

With the injury to Diontae Johnson, fantasy football managers are left with a potential void on their roster. Let’s check out the extent of the injury and players you can target on your waiver wire this week.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Injury Replacement Pickups

Injury Outlook

Diontae Johnson (hamstring) ruled out Sunday

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson has been ruled out for the remainder of the game with a hamstring injury.

Fantasy Impact

Johnson went down clutching the back of his leg after being tackled. Johnson was taken to the locker room and quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. Fantasy managers should expect the team to release more information on the severity of the injury soon. Johnson caught three of his six targets for 48 yards prior to the injury.

Jesse Garcia

Waiver Wire Replacements to Target

Allen Robinson (PIT): 2% rostered

• Next Opponents: CLE, @LVR, @HOU
• True value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Robinson gains relevance because of Diontae Johnson‘s hamstring injury. Per our own Dr. Deepak Chona, the “video suggests moderate severity” with his hamstring injury, with an average of two weeks’ recovery time (possible return in Week 3 or 4). Much like Bourne, Robinson tip-toes the edge of Fool’s gold. Robinson finished Week 1 with a 17.3% target share and only 1.39 yards per route run. Neither of these are sparkling metrics, and his final stat line was aided by the fact that the Steelers got their collective butts handed to them by the 49ers. Kenny Pickett attempted 46 passes in Week 1, which could be a season-high when it’s all said and done. Robinson holds middling flex appeal against Houston, where he can sit down in the soft spots of their zone coverage.

Puka Nacua (LAR): 5% rostered

• Next Opponents: SF, @CIN, @IND
• True value: $15
• Desperate Need: $25
• Budget-minded: $12

Analysis: Well, I tried to tell everyone. Puka Nacua is the truth. OK, let’s keep it 100 here. I have loved Nacua since I broke down his film and college production in preparation for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, but I would have never imagined this type of start for his NFL career. Nacua earned a ridiculous 39.4% target share In Week 1 operating in the Cooper Kupp role. Since 1980, only six wide receivers have finished Week 1 with more receiving yards than Nacua posted. Kupp remains on the shelf, and as long as he is, Nacua will continue to operate in this insane high-volume role. Nacua was given the keys to the car in Week 1, and he showed that he not only belongs in the race but is ready to put the team on his back. Even when (if) Kupp returns, Nacua will remain a key cog in an offense that will throw early and often this season. Nacua has empty-the-clip type upside in 2023.

Jakobi Meyers (LVR): 50% rostered

• Next Opponents: @BUF, PIT, @LAC
• True value: $6
• Desperate Need: $10
• Budget-minded: $4

Analysis: OK, let’s get one thing straight. Meyers probably won’t out-target Davante Adams in another game this season. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s discuss Mr. Meyers. He had a monster game with a 38.4% target share (10 targets), as Jimmy Garopppolo only threw the ball 26 times. Luckily for Meyers, this target tree is extremely thin, so while I don’t anticipate him seeing more volume than Adams again, it’s plausible for Meyers to earn a consistent 20% target share in this offense. Meyers finished with 81 receiving yards and two scores as icing on the cake. His upcoming matchups are laced with teams that love their man coverage. The good thing for Meyers is that he has shown the ability to beat man coverage, ranking 20th in receiving grade and 25th in yards per route run against the coverage type last season (per PFF). Meyers is a decent flex play weekly with more intrigue in PPR formats.

Rashid Shaheed (NO): 16% rostered

• Next Opponents: @CAR, @GB, TB
• True value: $5
• Desperate Need: $8
• Budget-minded: $3

Analysis: Shaheed is up to his old tricks. Last season, he came on strong down the stretch, flashing impressive route-running chops and blinding speed. These skills helped him finish third in yards per route run last season and 24th in receiving grade (per PFF). I wondered if he would get buried in the target pecking order with an emerging star in Chris Olave and an aged veteran in Michael Thomas returning. Or was his talent legit, and could he carve out the WR2 role in 2023? Well, so far, so good for Shaheed’s prospects of giving Thomas a run for his money for targets. Shaheed finished Week 1 with an 18.1% target share and 3.56 yards per route run (89 receiving yards) while chipping in two rushing attempts (11 rushing yards). A plus for Shaheed with the upcoming schedule is that Thomas or Olave could face a shadow matchup from Jaycee Horn or Jaire Alexander. This would conceivably push targets in Shaheed’s direction. Shaheed falls into the WR4/5 bucket with weekly WR2/3 upside.

Zay Jones (JAX): 30% rostered

• Next Opponents: KC, HOU, ATL
• True value: $5
• Desperate Need: $8
• Budget-minded: $3

Analysis: The year is 2023, and I have learned to put respect on Zay Jones‘ name. Jones dealt this swift lesson to me last year, when he finished as the WR31 in fantasy points per game. It’s conceivable he will threaten WR3 status again in 2023. Jacksonville is an ascending offense with one of the best young passers in the NFL at the helm. Jones was a trusted red zone weapon for Trevor Lawrence last year (12th in red zone targets), and I expect that to continue this year while Jones’ target volume becomes more erratic with a true alpha now present (Calvin Ridley). Christian Kirk pulled a disappearing act (three targets, nine receiving yards) in Week 1. I anticipate Jones and Kirk trading off spike weeks with Evan Engram sprinkled in. The WR4/5 bucket with weekly upside for more is stocked to the brim on the waiver wire this week. Jones could be the bargain bin option of this herd who takes pennies to procure off the waiver wire.

Tutu Atwell (LAR): 3% rostered

• Next Opponents: SF, @CIN, @IND
• True value: $3
• Desperate Need: $5
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Don’t let Atwell’s strong Week 1 performance get lost in the shuffle of Puka Nacua‘s monster game. Atwell was a full-time player (79% snaps), commanding a 21% target share while rocking an eye-popping 3.4 yards per route run against Seattle’s corners. Atwell was set in motion and utilized in bunch formations all game, giving him free releases. As long as Sean McVay continues to do this, look for Atwell to be productive. He was adept at finding the soft spots in Seattle’s zone. His next two opponents aren’t pushovers, but luckily for Atwell, they are zone-based defenses. Atwell looks like a decent WR4/5 who can pop off with WR2/3 production in the right matchups. That belongs at the end of any bench in fantasy land.

Jayden Reed & Romeo Doubs (GB): 12% & 31% rostered

• Next Opponents: @ATL, NO, DET
• True value: $2
• Desperate Need: $3
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Could I suggest more aggressive spending for either player? Sure, but that’s probably not needed at this juncture. The waiver wire is plentiful this week with wide receivers. The Packers’ WR group will be led by Christian Watson when he returns from injury, so don’t get it twisted in thinking either of these players will take that mantle in 2023. The limiting factors for Reed and Doubs’ respective upsides are real. The Packers seem content with operating as a run-based offense, as they only logged a 45.7% passing rate in Week 1. Reed and Doubs each managed 18.5% target shares, but because Jordan Love only threw the ball 27 times, those amounted to five targets apiece. Touchdowns helped to save each of their fantasy days. It’s difficult to rely on that week to week, especially in low-volume passing offenses.

Kendrick Bourne (NE): 2% rostered

• Next Opponents: MIA, @NYJ, @DAL
• True value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Bourne’s Week 1 production is borderline Fool’s Gold. It’s not that we haven’t seen Bourne produce in fantasy for extended stretches, because we have. But there’s a lot to dislike here beyond the box score. First, Bourne played 91% of the snaps in Week 1, but we have no clue if Coach Bill will awaken Monday morning and decide Bourne is in the doghouse. We’ve seen this happen before. Second, Bourne produced his lovely 64 receiving yards and two scores with Mac Jones dropping back to pass 54 times. Do we really think this is the way that the Patriots want to operate weekly? I doubt it. Bourne’s 20.3% target share doesn’t look so sexy when put into context, and neither does his 1.18 yards per route run. If you miss out on other wide receivers, pick up Bourne if you’re in a wide receiver pinch, but he’s not a priority target.

Josh Reynolds (DET): 1% rostered

• Next Opponents: SEA, ATL, @GB
• True value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Reynolds is a deep league or desperation; add if injuries have struck your team. Reynolds drew a 20% target share in Week 1 while leading the team with 80 receiving yards. His production will be spotty and matchup-dependent, like last week against a Chiefs squad that struggles against the deep ball. Seattle and Atlanta held opposing teams to bottom-10 completion rates on deep balls in 2022 (per Fantasy Points Data). Look to stream Reynolds against the Packers, who allowed the second-highest completion rate on deep passes last season (per Fantasy Points Data).