Everyone, no matter how ugly, has to do some dirty work at some point: cleaning up after a messy toddler, dressing a gaping wound, or going to a poorly maintained public bathroom.
Well, guess what? The wide receiver position has been left in a mess that many fantasy managers are now forced to try to clean up.
Injuries… oh the injuries: AJ Brown, Cooper Kupp, Amon-Ra Saint Brown, Justin Jefferson and Keenan Allen. They're the latest additions to an injury-riddled wide receiver corps that already includes Puka Nacua, Tee Higgins and Hollywood Brown.
Then there are the players whose development has been or will be stunted by poor quarterback play: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Green Bay's Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Dubs and Dontayveon Wicks.
Then there are the players whose credibility has been undermined by the QB or the scheme: Michael Pittman Jr., Terry McLaurin, Amari Cooper, Courtland Sutton.
Yes, some players didn't quite live up to expectations: Brandon Aiyuk, Ja'Marr Chase, Tank Dell and Christian Kirk.
This isn't just any mess, this is a very special episode with “Hoarders” levels of seriousness.So how does the tidying up begin?
First, demote Hill and Waddle rather than bench them, and hopefully, at least in the cases of Jefferson and St. Brown, their issues don't lead to extended absences, but we also remember the gleeful rhetoric surrounding Christian McCaffrey, and his situation certainly doesn't add to our equanimity.
Our boring insurance list starts with the Chargers' Quentin Johnston. The former first-round draft pick underwhelmed all of last season, and that trend continued into Week 1 of this season.
Then there are the Carolina Panthers. What the Panthers do best is make other teams (and players) look great, so temper your expectations for Johnston accordingly. But then again, we're talking about the best of what's available, so in that respect, Johnston is our favorite… erm… least offensive option.
He's not far from his prime — he scored as many touchdowns (two) on Sunday as he did in his first 17 games combined — and his situation is ideal: He's on a team with a very talented quarterback and no top receiver to take away many potential targets.
His biggest competition for those targets will be Joshua Palmer, but we think Johnston has the better chance of making big plays.
Speaking of the Panthers, their move to Andy Dalton at QB could open up fantasy prospects for Dionta Johnson. Keep an eye on waivers midweek to see if a disgruntled coach cuts Johnson.
Allen Lazard and Jauan Jennings are intriguing, but I think they could disappear quickly once Mike Williams and Aiyuk are both fit to play.
I would bet on Tyler Johnson or Demarcus Robinson, hoping one or both can step up in the absence of Kupp and Nacua. With Greg Dortch or Michael Wilson, they should be able to at least make the PPR floor.
Stop-gap solutions could be Andrei Iosivas (at least until Higgins returns), Jahan Dotson until Brown returns, Alec Pierce until Josh Downs is healthy (did we mention Downs is injured? Yes, we did), or Jalen Naylor until Jordan Addison returns (did we mention Addison is also injured? Yes, we did).
Like I said, it's ugly and boring. With any luck, a top-tier receiver will return soon. Until then, we'll just have to be patient and make do with what we can.
Armed and ready
Derek Carr QB, Raiders
As of Monday, he was the No. 2 quarterback overall in fantasy behind Baker Mayfield, and while it's hard to imagine the Saints offense maintaining that level of efficiency, it's also hard to imagine them stalling out completely.
Sam Darnold QB, Vikings
It's good to admit you're wrong, and it looks like we grossly underestimated Kevin O'Connell's impact on Darnold.
Braylon Allen, RB, Jets
He's not going to be consistent enough to slot into your lineup, but obviously he's a great backup for Breece Hall.
Cam Akers, RB, Texans
It's no secret that Akers has been a better player than anyone else in the past, but with Joe Mixon sidelined with an ankle injury, Akers will have a great opportunity to prove he can fill in as a replacement.
Press the eject button
Caleb Williams QB, Bears
I'm still not going to say he'll be as awful as Bryce Young, but… well, the fact that I have to articulate that doesn't say much about Williams' performance so far.
Matthew Stafford QB, Rams
Without Puka Nacua and maybe Cooper Kupp, there are better options on Weber, and if you haven't already, you should get a streaming QB if this is the best QB on your team.
Do you bet on the NFL?
Zamir White, RB, Raiders
His floor is too low to even be considered a starter, so stash him at the end of the bench in hopes he finds the end zone when you have to use him as a bye week fill-in.
Javonte Williams, RB, Broncos
Remember when we acknowledged Darnold was a lot better than we thought he would be? Williams seems to be the flip side of that coin. We thought he was ready to break out, but he's barely making it out of his own backfield.
