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7 waiver wire WRs fantasy managers may look to replace Chris Olave

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7 waiver wire WRs fantasy managers may look to replace Chris Olave

The New Orleans Saints And fantasy football managers will have to make do without Chris Olave for the next four games (and five weeks).

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Saints placed Olave on injured reserve after he suffered his second concussion of the season in Week 9. N.F.L insider mentions that the standout wide receiver has an extensive “history” of brain disorders, which plays a role in his extended absence.

Given the underlying circumstances of the case, Olave’s status for the remainder of the 2024 campaign is the same legitimately questioned – and within reason. While his health comes first and we see him have the quickest recovery, fantasy managers are suddenly losing their health second/third round receiver for the near future.

Replacing Olave’s production and upside won’t be an easy task for members of the virtual football community who have invested in him. He has been a rollercoaster in terms of weekly performance this year, albeit for reasons beyond his control (injury and poor quarterback play/coaching). But his record speaks for itself, as evidenced by his back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023.

Nevertheless, the exemption thread feels like a good starting point. Check to see if these players, available in more than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, are included. If not, you might want to pick up at least one.

Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns (45 percent on list)

The installation of veteran quarterback Jameis Winston under center was a positive development for the Cleveland Browns organization – with the exception of Deshaun Watson. The former’s presence was particularly beneficial for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.

Jeudy has matched or surpassed his previous season-high receiving total (73 yards) in both of Winston’s starts. But more importantly, he gets food. His 19 targets between Weeks 8 and 9 are the seventh-most during that stretch, drawing at least eight looks in each game.

As Jeudy and the Browns say their byes this week, they return from their short break to play a matchup against a hapless Saints squad. Notably, New Orleans recently traded their top cover corner and lost talented defensive back Paulson Adebo to a season-ending broken femur.

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers (43 percent on list)

A high ankle sprain sidelined Quentin Johnston for the Los Angeles Chargers’ last two games, but he returned in Week 9 and finished as the PPR WR8. His four catches for 118 yards and a touchdown produced 22 points, highlighted by this 66-yard catch-and-run score:

As you can see, the broken coverage by Brown’s secondary allowed Johnston to get free and run to the end zone. While the 23-year-old won’t have that in front of him on a regular basis, he should benefit from Los Angeles’ success. increased post-bye pass volume.

After looking like a first-round bust as a rookie in 2023, Johnston has reminded us why the Chargers spent such lofty draft capital on him. He offers great upside and is attached to Justin Herbert, one of the most distinct marksmen in the league.

Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers (36 percent on list)

Speaking of first-round selections, San Francisco 49ers rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall is worthy of a flier.

Pearsall missed the first six weeks of the season after being shot in the chest on August 31. Remarkably, he put in a good performance. full recovery and comeback within 50 days. Meanwhile, his return for the Niners couldn’t have come at a better time.

San Francisco will be without Brandon Aiyuk for the upcoming season after his torn ACL and MCL. Meanwhile, fellow star receiver Deebo Samuel has been dealing with rib/oblique issues. The latter is apparently always hurt, although he usually plays on his ailments.

Third-string Jauan Jennings’ nagging hip ailment continues, putting his Week 10 status for San Fran in doubt. Suddenly, Pearsall could be the healthiest receiver the 49ers have. Combine this with the latter’s pedigree and talent and he makes for a valuable addition.

Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers (36 percent ranked)

Another first-round wide receiver? Why not.

Carolina Panthers rookie Xavier Legette has seen an uptick in usage in recent weeks, thanks to the departure of veteran Diontae Johnson. He has seen at least six targets and caught four passes in consecutive games, scoring touchdowns in each game.

At 6-foot-4 and 227 pounds, Legette was a factor in the red zone for the Panthers. More specifically, he has become a trusted option inside the 10-yard line for Carolina signal caller Bryce Young. Over the past two weeks, the South Carolina alum was one of only 19 receivers to draw multiple targets in go-to-goal situations.

Legette’s upside may be limited to a lowly Panthers squad, but he’s locked into a meaningful role.

DeMarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams (30 percent on list)

DeMarcus Robinson has been the PPR WR6 over the past two weeks, though his value has mostly come from touchdowns. He found paydirt four times during this stretch, which is an outlier and can be misleading.

Scoring is a casual/hard-to-predict statistic, so managers may want to keep that in mind when targeting Robinson. Either way, he’s done enough to qualify as managers who need receivers. He’s a nearly every-down player running a high-powered Los Angeles Rams offense, and his ceiling is high enough to make the ridiculously low floor worth chasing.

DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots (25 percent listed)

DeMario Douglas’ 33 targets since Week 5 are 13th most in that span. For what it’s worth, rookie signal caller Drake Maye took over the starting role in Week 6, indicating a positive correlation. While it hasn’t consistently produced flashy fantasy stats, the volume is there.

Douglas should continue to feed off a Patriots team that lives in the basement and is in a lot of negative game scripts going forward. He and Maye will likely have plenty of opportunities to build their rapport.

Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers (24 percent on list)

Whether Bryce Young can back up one fantasy pass catcher remains to be seen, let alone two. We already mentioned Xavier Legette, but veteran Adam Thielen tops the list.

Thielen won’t be available to the Panthers or fantasy managers until Week 12, but he will fill a significant role (possibly that of Diontae Johnson). Intriguingly, the 34-year-old was the PPR WR8 from Weeks 1-8 last season while catching passes from Young, so we’ve seen them work well together.

Thielen, a two-time Pro Bowler with minimal competition for targets in Carolina, could quietly run into a significant workload. Not to mention, the Panthers have one of the worst defensive units in football.

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