Golden Tate Becomes Must-Start in Fantasy Leagues with Calvin Johnson Injured

If you drafted Golden Tate hoping he would become a nice complement to Calvin Johnson, get ready for even more than you bargained for as the receiver ranks as a top option in Week 6.

The former Seattle Seahawks star has had back-to-back big weeks for the Detroit Lions, totaling 15 catches for 250 receiving yards and a touchdown. A lot of this has been based on the fact Johnson has been limited by an ankle injury, turning Tate into the No. 1 target for Matthew Stafford. The good news is this will not change any time soon.

Despite being an active starter for the past two weeks, Johnson was extremely ineffective while dealing with his injury. ESPN's Adam Schefter noted earlier in the week the player might try a new strategy in Week 6:

Andrew Siciliano of the NFL Network reported the All-Pro receiver was unlikely to suit up:

It seems clear that whether he plays or not, he will not be at full strength. This means more opportunity for Tate, who was targeted 20 times over the past two weeks as the Lions looked for someone else to step up. 

Being a top option is no problem for Tate, who considers himself as good as anyone in the league anyway. He recently spoke about his role with the team, via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com:

"

I don't like to call myself a No. 2 receiver for anyone. I don't care if I was behind Randy Moss or Terrell Owens or whoever. I see (Johnson and I) working together. Obviously he's the No. 1 for sure. For sure. But 1b sounds good. ...

In my mind I think the best is yet to come. Hopefully my role keeps increasing and hopefully I keep having an opportunity to help this team win and give them a better chance to win.

"

This will be yet another chance for the talented receiver to show what he can do as a top target in the offense.

In Week 6, he faces a Minnesota Vikings secondary that has allowed the ninth-most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers. The squad has allowed receivers to score five touchdowns in the last two weeks and seven overall, which trails just the Philadelphia Eagles on the season.

His biggest opportunity to rack up fantasy points will come after the catch, where Tate has excelled all season. The receiver ranks third in the NFL with 237 yards after the catch, while NFL.com's Chris Wesseling noted earlier in the year he was among the league leaders in broken tackles:

Against a team that has had problems bringing down ball-carriers, Tate should be able to take more than a few of his catches and turn them into big gains and possibly touchdowns.

While there are bigger names on the board throughout the league, the Lions star has a chance to be one of the top scorers of the week.

If you have him on your team, start him and get ready for a quality stretch with upcoming games against the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. If you do not have him, this might be a good chance to make a trade before people realize how good he really can become.

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