One of these days, the injury bug will stop biting the Chargers and taking their best players away from us.
And one of these days, Keenan Allen will be a staple in our Fantasy lineups again.
It's official: Allen suffered a torn ACL after falling to the ground with minimal contact at Kansas City in Week 1. Allen was on his way to his typical high-volume kind of day with 63 yards on six catches just before halftime.
The Chargers receiving corps doesn't have a go-to target anymore. Travis Benjamin and Tyrell Williams will take over as the main deep threats and Dontrelle Inman will see a bump in playing time. Antonio Gates will still do his thing and rookie Hunter Henry could see more time on the field in two tight end sets.
Some of these guys make sense as replacement options for those owners who lost Allen. They're all available in at least 40 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
Maybe it was the competition he went up against, but you can't help but be encouraged by Sanu's five-catch, 80-yard, one-score game against the Bucs. It was also sweet to see him land eight targets, the same as Julio Jones. He should be consistent. Sanu's going to be a fixture in the Falcons offense and is worth aiming for as a part-time starter, including at Oakland in Week 2.
The Texans won't play the Bears every single week, but Fuller's 107-yard, one-score game on just five catches will get a lot of attention. But the real story has to do with Fuller's 11 targets, leading the Texans. It won't matter who the Texans play -- so long as Brock Osweiler has to attempt at least 25 passes, Fuller will get some deep targets. You'll start him for those big-play opportunities, even against the Chiefs next week.
It's pretty obvious Dorsett will be a regular part of the Colts offense, and it's pretty obvious the Colts will throw every single week. Dorsett led the team in receiving yards in a high-scoring loss against the Lions. His matchup in Week 2 at Denver isn't great but given the volume of targets he should get, he's got some appeal.
Benjamin will play a lot and pick up a bunch of targets with Allen out. In Week 1 he had plenty of opportunities but couldn't gain much traction against the Chiefs. He's a fantastic boom-or-bust option against the Jaguars at home in Week 2.
Hogan's got more long-term appeal than anything else. Sure, he caught a bomb from Jimmy Garoppolo to surprise the Cardinals in Week 1, but he's not expected to do something like that every week. At least, not until Tom Brady comes back seeking revenge. We've already seen Brady connect with Hogan once this preseason and we know Hogan is capable of playing any spot on the field. For now his Fantasy ceiling isn't terribly high, but if an owner can withstand three more Brady-less weeks, we should see Hogan in a position to put up some nice numbers.
The Saints rookie didn't get a lot of numbers compared to his teammates, but the six grabs he got for 58 yards is a nice start. Judging by the Saints defense, you'll see Drew Brees throw plenty all season long. If Thomas gets six receptions per week then his production should be at least tolerable.
Williams entered the season as the Chargers slot receiver. The hunch is he'll get a lot more playing time with Allen off the field, though it's not a guarantee he'll work when the Bolts move to a two-receiver formation. If you can't get Benjamin, this is the next-best Chargers wideout to target off waivers.
Trade targets
His 85 yards on four catches wasn't exactly Calvin-esque, but the 10 targets can't be ignored. The Lions are going to play in plenty of high-scoring games against a lot of inferior opponents (at home against the Titans next week). Jones should be very involved in what they do.
You'll pay a decent price for him, but he'll be worth it. Continuing on from his sharp preseason, Diggs turned nine targets into seven grabs and 103 yards. He's the No. 1 receiver for the Vikings and he's been playing bigger than his size suggests. Keep in mind he put this stat line together with Shaun Hill throwing passes to him -- he'll see better passes from Sam Bradford.
Pretty much everyone drafted Crabtree to be a backup, but if you lost Allen in a PPR league, Crabtree is a good replacement, particularly because he'll come cheap in a trade. He debuted this season with seven catches for 87 yards on nine targets. Not bad after he averaged 9.1 targets per game last year. Maybe he won't slow down after all. He should be easy to get.
If the guy who took Dez in your league is upset with his one-catch, 8-yard performance, go find him, put your arm around him and tell him you'll make his life easier by taking Bryant off of his hands. Dez habitually starts slow, only to come around and put up huge numbers. He nearly scored this week and should see more targets go his way from Dak Prescott as the season moves forward. Bryant was taken at a first- or second-round price, but if you can trade for him at a fourth-round price, your team will be much better off.
