Justin Jefferson Injury: Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Replacement Pickups (Week 6)

With the injury to Justin Jefferson, 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. And be sure to check out our full Week 6 fantasy football waiver wire advice article here.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Injury Replacement Pickups

Injury Outlook

Justin Jefferson being placed on IR with hamstring injury

The Vikings plan to place Justin Jefferson on injured reserve because of the hamstring injury he suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero.

Fantasy Impact

Jefferson’s exact timeline is still TBD and will depend on how he responds to treatment, per Pelissero. But he will now miss at least the next four games. The Vikings play the Bears, 49ers, Packers and Falcons the next four weeks and don’t have their bye until Week 13. With Jefferson out, Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn should both see their roles increase, while the passing offense could lean a bit more on TE T.J. Hockenson, as well.

Mike Maher

Waiver Wire Replacements to Target

Quentin Johnston (LAC): 33% rostered

• Next Opponents: DAL, @KC, CHI
• True value: $6
• Desperate need: $10
• Budget-minded: $4

Analysis: The numbers for Johnston haven’t been pretty. He has a 7.5% target share, an 8.9% air-yard share and a 9.9% first-read share. His Week 4 usage was more encouraging, with a 67.7% route run rate and a 12.5% target share (per Fantasy Points Data). Investing in Johnston is a belief in not only his talent bubbling to the surface as we move through the season but also buying into a high-powered offense. The Chargers are seventh in points per game and yards per play. Johnston is a talented rookie coming out of a bye week who has been thrust into a larger role that could continue to grow. The upcoming matchups are gruesome, but by the time we get to the Bears’ secondary in Week 8, Johnston could be headed for a monster stretch run. In Weeks 14-17, the Chargers get two dates with the Broncos and a game against the Raiders.

Brandin Cooks (DAL): 47% rostered

• Next Opponents: @LAC, BYE, LAR
• True value: $3
• Desperate need: $5
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Cooks might already be rostered in your league, but if he is out there, pick him up now as a possible flex play for Week 6. Cooks entered Week 5 with a 14.9% target share and only 0.85 yards per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). I know those aren’t pristine numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but hear me out. The Chargers’ secondary is Swiss cheese. They entered Week 5 having allowed the most fantasy points per game, the second-most receiving yards and the second-most receiving touchdowns to opposing wide receivers. Dallas can feed Tony Pollard this week and Cooks can still walk away with a good game.

Wan’Dale Robinson (NYG): 24% rostered

• Next Opponents: @BUF, WAS, NYJ
• True value: $3
• Desperate need: $5
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Robinson’s playing time is trending up. In Week 5, he played 65% of the snaps with 75% route participation and an 18.7% target share. As wild as it is to say, with Daniel Jones (neck) sidelined with an injury, the Giants’ offense could be in better hands in Week 6 with Tyrod Taylor possibly under center. Robinson could face Taron Johnson (100% catch rate and 113.0 passer rating) this week or Cam Lewis (career: 62.5% catch rate and 108.6 passer rating per PFF) if Johnson (knee) can’t go. Either way, Robinson will have the easiest corner matchup for the Giants to pick on this week. Robinson gets a bump in PPR formats.

Darnell Mooney (CHI): 23% rostered

• Next Opponents: MIN, LV, @LAC
• True value: $3
• Desperate need: $5
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Don’t look now, haters, but Justin Fields has been surgical over the last two games. That brings Mooney into focus as a possible flex play or bye-week lineup plug-in. Mooney could enjoy a nice three-game run against secondaries that entered Week 5 having allowed the fourth-most, 12th-most and most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers.

Rashid Shaheed (NO): 37% rostered

• Next Opponents: @HOU, JAX, @IND
• True value: $2
• Desperate need: $4
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Shaheed is New Orleans’s deep threat and zone coverage dominator. Each of his next three opponents are zone-heavy secondaries. Against zone, Shaheed entered Week 5 with a 13.6% target share, a 16.4-yard average depth of target and 2.02 yards per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). The Texans have been tough against receivers, but they just allowed the Falcons to look like a competent passing attack. Indy and Jacksonville have allowed the third-most and 15th-most receiving fantasy points in zone coverage.

Josh Reynolds (DET): 41% rostered

• Next Opponents: @TB, @BAL, LV
• True value: $2
• Desperate need: $4
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: The Lions deployed a wide receiver committee in Week 5, with Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, Marvin Jones and Jameson Williams mixing and matching in personnel all day. While that isn’t fantastic, Reynolds still saw a 17.8% target share, as he led the team in receiving yards and scored a touchdown. Reynolds had turned in two top-36 wide receiver weeks (WR8, WR30) this season going into Week 5, and I’m sure that when the week has concluded, he’ll have another top-36 finish to add to the scrapbook. With Amon-Ra St. Brown sidelined, Reynolds could continue to lead this passing attack along with TE Sam LaPorta in the coming weeks.

Josh Downs (IND): 9% rostered

• Next Opponents: @JAX, CLE, NO
• True value: $2
• Desperate need: $4
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Downs crushed in Week 5. He had a 23.0% target share, as he led the Colts with 97 receiving yards. Downs is a plug-and-play flex option this week in all formats. He should have no issues eating up slot corner Jaguars Tre Herndon (78.9% catch rate and 145.0 passer rating, per PFF) this week, regardless of whether he is catching passes from Anthony Richardson or Gardner Minshew.

Curtis Samuel (WAS): 17% rostered

• Next Opponents: @ATL, @NYG, PHI
• True value: $2
• Desperate need: $4
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Samuel is another plug-and-play waiver wire flex gem this week. He is coming off a productive Week 5 game where Sam Howell dropped back 51 times. While I don’t envision Howell accruing that much passing volume in Week 6, Samuel should be an integral part of the game plan against the Falcons. Samuel will run about 68% of his routes against Dee Alford (77.3% catch rate and 125.8 passer rating), who is the easiest corner matchup on the board for the Washington passing attack.

Kendrick Bourne (NE): 18% rostered

• Next Opponents: @LV, BUF, @MIA
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Bourne is a deep-league flex play this week. Demario Douglas and JuJu Smith-Schuster left New England’s Week 5 game with head injuries. If they can’t get cleared in time for Week 6, Bourne could offer some flex appeal. Bourne’s playing time has been hit or miss, but when he’s been on the field, he has been productive. He entered Week 5 with an 18.1% target share, 26% target per route run rate, and 1.64 yards per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). The Raiders have been giving to wide receivers with the 12th-most fantasy points per game allowed.