Fantasy football managers drafted Christian Watson to be a locked-and-loaded WR2 for their roster. After the dominant stretch that he had in 2022, Watson was a highly coveted player going into fantasy drafts, but we have yet to see him on the field so far this season. Is Watson close to returning after battling a hamstring injury? Should fantasy managers expect to have the second-year wideout available here in Week 4 against the Detroit Lions?
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Is Christian Watson Going To Play Week 4?
Watson is listed as questionable going into this matchup against the Lions on Thursday Night Football. He’s been working his way back in practice and appears to be on track to suit up, barring any setbacks leading up to the game. This report was further supported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Update 09/28/23: Watson is officially active against the Lions tonight.
While it’s great to see Watson trending towards playing, this does not mean that he’s an automatic start in your fantasy lineup here in Week 4. We had numerous questions regarding the target volume that Watson would see this year from Jordan Love — we still don’t have the answer to that question.
With the risk of potential re-injury or him playing on a possible snap count, Watson’s a low-end WR3 in my rankings or potentially even a Flex option. He has the athleticism to take one shallow cross reception for 60+ yards and a touchdown, but there is a bit of an unknown as to what his floor will be.
If you can wait one more week before inserting Watson confidently into your starting fantasy lineup, I would recommend deploying that strategy.
Potential Fantasy Options If Watson Is Out Includes Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed
As has been the case over the course of the beginning part of the 2023 NFL season, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed would be fine starting options for fantasy if Watson misses this contest due to a setback leading up to the game.
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Doubs has been a fine fill-in option for fantasy lineups over the first few weeks and Reed has truly made an impact right away as a rookie. While they certainly wouldn’t be top-24 options, they would be fine WR3s if Watson misses this contest.
However, if Watson does play, Doubs moves down to a Flex play, while Reed is someone who becomes an incredibly risky start for fantasy lineups.
If you’re looking to see exactly where these players land in the rankings — with or without Watson in the lineup — make sure to check in frequently on our PFN Consensus Rankings.