Calvin Johnson Injury: Favorable Matchups Will Keep Megatron Elite Fantasy WR

An ankle injury slowed down Detroit Lions superstar receiver Calvin Johnson in a Week 4 win over the New York Jets. Even against a decimated Jets secondary, Johnson wasn't effective, managing just two receptions for 12 yards.

ESPN Stats & Info noted the significance of Johnson's lackluster numbers:

That shouldn't be a cause for alarm for fantasy owners, though. Between Johnson's own self-assessment and Detroit's upcoming schedule, Megatron should be back in rare form soon enough.

It's rare to see any signs of mortality from someone as gifted as Johnson, but it's worth reflecting on his body of work in 2014 alone when assessing his off day against the Jets.

Johnson already has 341 yards receiving and was targeted at least 10 times in the first three games. Week 4's underwhelming outing saw Johnson limited to just 37 snaps. Check out how well he was doing until this last Sunday, courtesy of ESPN's Numbers Never Lie:

And that high-level production is with rumored lingering health concerns, according to Bleacher Report's own Chris Simms:

Perhaps there is concern for Johnson's overall health—regarding his knees, not his ankle—within the Lions organization, but he is still doing plenty to be a WR1 in fantasy.

Megatron himself stated after Sunday's game that his ankle improved as the week wore on, per the Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett:

"

Things (have) gotten better all week. It was a struggle at first, and as the week progressed, it's gotten better and better. Expect the same thing this week. [...] It was tough (playing), but I figured from (Saturday's walkthrough), moving around, I'd be able to get on the field a little bit. It's good to be out there with the fellas. It sucks to sit on the sideline and not to play at all, and it sucks to have injuries too, but that's just part of the game.

"

So even if there is something wrong that Johnson is not admitting to, he has still displayed a willingness to stick it out and come to play on Sundays. Until he is physically limited to the point of not being able to get on the field, fantasy owners shouldn't panic.

That is especially true when considering the next month or so ahead for the Lions. Cannon-armed quarterback Matthew Stafford is playing at a higher level, with a legitimate No. 2 wide receiver in Golden Tate at his disposal at long last.

Detroit plays four extremely favorable secondaries in as many upcoming games:

Opponent	Pass Defense Ranking
vs. Buffalo	25th
at Minnesota	17th
vs. New Orleans	28th
at Atlanta	30th

Football Perspective's Chase Stuart broke down one aspect of how the Jets' unique front seven was able to deny a hobbled Johnson of making an impact while playing through pain:

The Jets' defense may have been thin on the back end, but they lead the NFL with 14 team sacks at the moment. They sacked Stafford four times and got consistent pressure. It didn't allow an ailing Johnson to truly threaten the defense on deep passes, which has become his forte with his massive frame and incredible ball skills.

None of the next four opponents have the Jets' caliber of pass rush, save for the Buffalo Bills, with Mario Williams as the headliner up front. However, Buffalo doesn't have a cornerback to match up with Johnson, even when he's not quite 100 percent.

If Johnson's ankle is progressing as he claims it is, he will gradually get closer amid this upcoming four-game stretch and start to put up some serious fantasy points.

The room to improve with progressing health makes Johnson a perpetual commodity. As long as Detroit is smart with him in practice, Johnson is in for a big bounce back and will make the Lions even more dangerous moving forward.