There are dirty tasks everyone has to do at some point, as ugly as they might be. Perhaps it is cleaning up after a sloppy toddler, tending to a gaping wound, having to visit an unkempt public restroom.
Well, guess what? The wide receiver position has left a mess, and many fantasy managers now are forced to try to clean it up.
The injuries … oh, the injuries: A.J. Brown, Cooper Kupp, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson, Keenan Allen — all new additions to a fleet of banged-up wideouts that already included Puka Nacua, Tee Higgins, Hollywood Brown.
Then there are the guys whose upside has been or will be stunted by bad quarterback play: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, the Green Bay quartet of Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks.
And there are also those whose QBs/schemes ruin perceived reliability: Michael Pittman Jr., Terry McLaurin, Amari Cooper, Courtland Sutton.
Oh, and there are others who just haven’t performed to expectations: Brandon Aiyuk, Ja’Marr Chase, Tank Dell, Christian Kirk.
This isn’t just an ordinary mess, this is a very special episode of “Hoarders” level severity. So how does the cleanup begin?
First, we’re downgrading, not benching, Hill and Waddle. And hopefully, at least in the cases of Jefferson and St. Brown, their issues don’t cause lengthy absences. But also, we remember happy-happy-joy-joy rhetoric regarding Christian McCaffrey, and his situation certainly has not enhanced our calm.
Our uninspiring list of insurance policies starts with the Chargers’ Quentin Johnston. The former first-round pick spent all of last season destroying expectations, and that trend continued into Week 1 of this season.
Then came the Carolina Panthers. Look, the one thing the Panthers do well is make other teams (and players) look great, so temper Johnston expectations accordingly. But again, we’re talking about the best of what is available. So in those terms, Johnston is our favorite … errrr … least disgusting option.
He isn’t too far removed from his peak hype, and he just scored as many touchdowns Sunday (two) as he did in his first 17 games combined. Plus, his situation is ideal: He is on a team with a highly competent quarterback and without a top receiver to steal a lot of potential targets.
His biggest competition for those targets is Joshua Palmer, but we like Johnston’s big-play potential better.
Speaking of the Panthers, the switch to Andy Dalton at QB could breathe life into the fantasy prospects of Diontae Johnson. Keep an eye on midweek waivers to see if he gets dumped by a frustrated manager.
Allen Lazard and Jauan Jennings are tempting, but think they could imminently disappear once Mike Williams and Aiyuk, respectively, get in game shape.
You could take a shot on Tyler Johnson or Demarcus Robinson, hoping one or both step up in the absence of Kupp and Nacua. Greg Dortch or Michael Wilson at least should give you a decent PPR floor.
Some temporary Band-Aids: Andrei Iosivas, at least until Higgins returns, or Jahan Dotson until Brown gets back, or Alec Pierce until Josh Downs is healthy (Did we mention Downs is hurt? Well he is.). Or Jalen Nailor until Jordan Addison gets back (Did we mention Addison was injured, too? Well he is.).
Like we said, ugly and uninspiring. With any luck, our top-flight receivers will be back soon. In the meantime, hold your nose and clean up what you can.
Armed & ready
Derek Carr QB, Raiders
As of Monday, he was the No. 2 quarterback in all of fantasy — behind only Baker Mayfield. It is hard to imagine the Saints offense keeps up this level of proficiency, but also hard to imagine it goes completely in the tank.
Sam Darnold QB, Vikings
Admitting when you’re wrong is a good thing. And it appears we dramatically underestimated the Kevin O’Connell impact on Darnold.
Braelon Allen RB, Jets
He isn’t going to produce at a steady enough rate to put in your lineup, but clearly he is a great handcuff for Breece Hall.
Cam Akers RB, Texans
We know, Akers has burned everyone at some point in the past. But if Joe Mixon’s ankle issue causes him to miss any time, Akers likely will get the best shot to show he is a capable fill-in.
Hit eject button
Caleb Williams QB, Bears
We’re not ready to say he is going to be Bryce Young-bad, but … well, having to clarify that at all does not speak well to Williams’ performance thus far.
Matthew Stafford QB, Rams
Without Puka Nacua and likely Cooper Kupp, there should be better options on waivers. Besides, if you weren’t already, you should be streaming QBs if this is the best one on your roster.
Betting on the NFL?
Zamir White RB, Raiders
His floor is way too low to consider starting. Stash at the end of your bench hoping he finds the end zone when you have to use him as a bye-week filler.
Javonte Williams RB, Broncos
Remember how we admitted Darnold is much better than we thought, well … It seems Williams is the other side of that coin. We thought he was primed for a breakout. But he can barely break out of his own backfield.
