Steve Breaston Undergoes Surgery, Rookie Stephen Williams Is Likely Replacement

NBCSports is reporting that Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Steve Breaston “will miss at least the next couple of weeks” after having a torn meniscus in his knee repaired on Tuesday.

Breaston first appeared as “questionable” on the team’s Week 3 injury report, citing a knee injury. He played through the injury on Sunday against the Raiders, catching four passes for 41 yards and his first touchdown of the season.

Though he is second on the team with just 20 targets, Breaston currently leads the Cardinals in both receptions (14) and yards (183). In comparison, star teammate Larry Fitzgerald has been targeted 35 times, but made just 12 catches for 152 yards.

With no set timetable on Breaston’s return being established at this time and fellow receiver Early Doucet on the sidelines until at least mid-October, the Cardinals will likely turn to undrafted rookie wide receiver Stephen Williams to pick up the slack while Breaston is out.

Williams is currently third on the team in targets with 10, but has caught just three of those passes for 37 yards. He also had a costly drop that could have been a big play late in Sunday’s game against the Raiders on a slightly off-target pass from quarterback Derek Anderson.

At 6’5”, Williams has the size and speed to contribute at the NFL level, but he will need to hold onto passes like the one he dropped on Sunday if he hopes to make a name for himself.

Williams warrants some consideration of a pickup in deep fantasy leagues, particularly those which have a flex position or more than two wide receiver spots. Playing aside Larry Fitzgerald has been a great thing for other receivers in the past, so there’s reason to believe that the trend continues with Williams.

Meanwhile, with Breaston’s knee injury history and his lack of true production to begin with, it’s probably safe to drop him in most leagues. A clean switch from Breaston to Williams might not be a bad option for those in need of depth at the receiver position.