Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson still a top fantasy option

Detroit Lions superstar wideout Calvin Johnson failed to practice today and is coming off of a one-catch performance against the St. Louis Rams, but fantasy football owners shouldn’t be worried about him, even with the stakes raised in the second week of the fantasy playoffs.

Prior to last week’s dud against the Rams, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson had a streak of seven straight games with at least eight fantasy points. Matthew Stafford can’t be praised as the most consistent quarterback in the league, but his best wide receiver was the epitome of consistency for that stretch of time. In fact, the last time he was held under five fantasy points in a single game came in Week 1 against the San Diego Chargers.

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Perhaps some fantasy owners are worried about Megatron this week, and it goes beyond the fact that he’s coming off of his least productive game of the season. Both he and tight end Eric Ebron are listed questionable on the Lions official injury report for the team’s Monday Night Football matchup against the New Orleans Saints this week, and, what’s more, Johnson wasn’t even able to practice today.

For most players, missing the final practice of the week would be a death-knell, but Megatron isn’t most players. Star veteran players always get special treatment when it comes to practicing during the week, and this is especially true for star wide receivers. Like fellow veteran Brandon Marshall, Johnson has shown throughout his career that he is capable of starting- and shining- on gameday, regardless of his practice status in the lead-up to the contest.

Already at seven receiving touchdowns and 71 receptions this year, Johnson is the owner of a 75.5 receiving yards per game average in 2015. Standing in his way on Monday night is an abhorrent Saints secondary, because outside of former CFL star Delvin Breaux, nobody in that defensive backfield is worth praising.

As long as Stafford looks for him and doesn’t implode against a team that has been, statistically speaking, the NFL’s worst pass defense, Megatron is a great bet to prosper. The last time he went up against a pass defense that struggles at defending No. 1 receivers, Johnson went off for 93 yards and three TDs on eight receptions against Eric Rowe and the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving Day.

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Around 80 receiving yards with legitimate touchdown upside looks like a reasonable Week 15 projection for Megatron, who has to be considered a top-five fantasy option this week. He’s only had about three or four truly spectacular fantasy performances in the 2015 season, but with Johnson, you are playing him for consistency. Barring anything unexpected, which would most likely be Stafford’s responsibility, Megatron’s Week 14 flop vs. a standout Rams secondary will prove to be an aberration.

Nov 26, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) celebrates his touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter of a NFL game on Thanksgiving at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN NFL Nation’s Michael Rothstein expects Johnson to play, and the Detroit Free Press’s Dave Birkett responded to someone speculating that Johnson could be a game-time decision by simply stating “He’ll play”.

So ignore the questionable listing, the missed practice session today, and the minor ankle injury.

While it is wise to have a contingency plan in place in case Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, or another insider tweets some gloomy news regarding his Week 15 status before tomorrow’s 1:00 p.m. ET games, I would be more than willing to pencil him in as a starter this week.

Playing someone listed as questionable in an MNF game always carries some inherent risk in fantasy football, but since reporters don’t seem to be concerned and the matchup is excellent, he’s well-worth the start at this point in time.

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For what it’s worth, I own Megatron in my fantasy league, and I am safely starting him until further notice with only Keshawn Martin and Eddie Royal as potential Plan B options.