Fantasy Football Week 5: Hot Replacements for Injured Andre Johnson

With Andre Johnson possibly missing some time with a hamstring injury, those who drafted him in the first or second rounds of their fantasy draft need to hit the waiver wire to get a receiver who can replace him.

Johnson is consistently one of the highest-producing fantasy wide receivers in the game, and his loss is going to hurt owners without a doubt.

Owners are eagerly awaiting the result of his MRI today.

They need to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Perhaps winding up somewhere in the middle won’t be so bad.

These are five guys who could help you make up some of Johnson’s production in the short term and perhaps even be worthy starters alongside him when he returns.

Darrius Heyward-Bey

This is the riskiest pick-up because he had his four catches for 115 yards against an atrocious New England Patriots’ secondary.

Heyward-Bey is the definition of a bust so far in his NFL career, and one solid game isn’t doing much to change it.

However, if you believe that he will be consistent and continue to perform at this level, by all means, take a chance on him.

Laurent Robinson

Robinson has been killing it with Miles Austin out of the lineup.

Against Detroit, he really stepped up and grabbed seven catches for 116 yards in a pass-happy Cowboys’ offense.

I wouldn't say he is a long-term investment, because Austin is slated to return after the bye this week, but Dez Bryant has been hampered by injury as well.

If one of these guys goes down again, and most likely they will, Robinson will be a starter.

Victor Cruz

Cruz strung together another solid game with the Giants despite Manningham and Nicks being healthy.

He is going to be remembered for the non-fumble call that went the Giants' way, but Cruz caught six balls for 98 yards, and I can see him being a solid target from here on out for Eli Manning.

Look for the team to possibly consider moving Manningham (a better route runner) to the slot and having Cruz run deep from the No. 2 spot.

Kevin Walter

The obvious replacement for Andre Johnson is Walter.

Walter was supposed to miss significant time this season but came back exceedingly quick after just missing a game.

I expect Walter to see a high volume of throws, second to only Owen Daniels and Arian Foster, in Johnson’s absence.

He could be a real breakout player for this team given a chance and if he stays healthy.

Antonio Brown

Brown has passed Hines Ward for the most targets on the team after Mike Wallace, and if Ben Roethlisberger is healthy, he is a great pickup.

Brown looked great for the team and has been having a solid sophomore season.

Keep an eye on Big Ben’s status before putting a waiver claim in for this guy though, but he has the potential to be the highest-producing WR on this list.