Calvin Johnson's Updated 2014 Fantasy Outlook Heading into Week 6

Has the day arrived that you sit Calvin Johnson?

The Detroit Lions receiver has been more Soundwave than Megatron lately, especially in his last two games. After his impressive Week 1 outburst, his numbers have steadily declined, bottoming out in a 17-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Week	Receptions	Targets	Yards	YPC	TDs
1	7	11	164	23.4	2
2	6	13	83	13.8	0
3	6	10	82	13.7	0
4	2	2	12	6.0	0
5	1	1	7	7.0	0

Johnson revealed that he is in fact suffering from a high ankle sprain, per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.

"You want to be smart," said the four-time Pro Bowler. "You don't want to put yourself in a position where you can't be there for the team at the end, and that's what we're trying to be smart about."

More pertinent to fantasy football owners is the fact that the Lions might sit Johnson down so as to avoid having him continue to take shots to his already tender ankle.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Johnson said of opposing defenders targeting the problem area. "Guys will try to take guys out of the game if they know they can—especially if you've got a playmaker."

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein reported that Lions head coach Jim Caldwell is "strongly" considering the idea of taking Johnson out of the lineup in Week 6:

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On Wednesday, Caldwell said the Lions will go through the week and 'we'll see' when it comes to a determination on whether Johnson would play. Caldwell, as he has done in the past, cited Johnson's ability to heal quickly as a reason he wants to see how it goes throughout the week.

'It's one of those deals where we take it week by week," Caldwell said. "He's a veteran. He knows his body better than anyone, and the doctors will confer and kind of give us their prognosis.'

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This falls in line with what Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported for Team Stream Now last week.

Dr. Mark Adickes, a medical expert for ESPN, doesn't believe that Johnson will see the field on Sunday:

With all of this doubt cast upon Megatron's status, fantasy owners are scrambling to determine whether to sit somebody who's likely only seen the bench during bye weeks.

Dave Siebert, a doctor and medical expert for B/R, provided some insight on how an ankle sprain could dampen Megatron's impact on a game:

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Ankle sprains can limit a receiver's ability to cut away from defenders. They also weaken the involved ligament or ligaments until the healing process completes itself, potentially increasing the risk of further injury.

While Johnson may not evade defenders as easily due to his ongoing ankle troubles, the sprain certainly does not affect his size. He remains a monstrous target in the end zone.

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With the update on Johnson's ankle, Siebert believes that Megatron's even less of a fantasy option this weekend:

You should obviously continue to monitor the situation to see if Caldwell leans one way or the other. However, it's unlikely that he'd reveal before game time that one of his best players will for sure miss out on Sunday unless Johnson's status takes a turn for the worse.

You may not have a lot of time to make your final decision.

For now, he should remain in your starting lineup for two reasons. First, he's the best wideout in the league when healthy, and even a Calvin Johnson at 75-80 percent is better than most. In addition, the Lions are likely itching to get a win after last week's poor performance against the Bills. Megatron should have a strong bounce-back game.

However, if the mood around Johnson remains skeptical heading into Friday and Saturday, start looking at other options.