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    Justin Jefferson Injury: Target These 3 Potential Replacements in Fantasy

    Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson is now on IR. Who are some of the potential options you can turn to in fantasy football to save your season?

    Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson has now been placed on injured reserve and is slated to miss a minimum of the next four games. After spending a top-three overall pick in fantasy football drafts on the talented WR, fantasy managers are now suddenly scrambling for a replacement for their roster.

    Who are some of the players you should consider targeting in your fantasy football league, whether on the waiver wire or via trade? Let’s find out.

    Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!

    Potential Replacements for Justin Jefferson Following His Injury

    Josh Reynolds, Detroit Lions

    The waiver wire for Week 6 is about ready to open, but there’s still some time to get a claim in for Josh Reynolds. Aside from a Week 3 dud performance against the Atlanta Falcons, Reynolds has been a solid producer in fantasy lineups, and that shows no sign of slowing down.

    While Jameson Williams poses a threat to Reynolds’ production down the line, over the next several weeks, Williams is still going to be looking to get his sea legs under him after significant time off.

    There’s a reason why Reynolds is a top option in my waiver wire rankings for Week 6, and if you need a solid WR3 for your lineup that presents some upside week in and week out to make up for the loss of Jefferson, Reynolds is worth spending some FAAB on.

    Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts

    It’s been hard to tell that Josh Downs is a rookie WR so far this season. He’s making an immediate impact and has shown fantastic chemistry with Gardner Minshew, who is set to be the starting QB for the Indianapolis Colts for the next several weeks.

    MORE: PFN Consensus Rankings

    Coming off of a six-reception, 97-yard performance in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans, the arrow is pointing up for the dynamic slot receiver out of North Carolina in this offense. While Downs is certainly not going to be able to replace Jefferson 1-for-1 in your fantasy lineup — no option on the waiver wire will — he’s becoming a reliable fantasy asset.

    You may need to spend slightly more of your FAAB this week to get him onto your roster after he put up a solid performance in Week 5. But Downs can now be viewed as a solid low-end WR3 moving forward that gets a slight bump up in full-PPR formats.

    Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers

    There’s a strong likelihood that you’re not going to be able to find Joshua Palmer on your league’s waiver wire, so this is going to need to be a “buy low” acquisition in your league.

    People simply do not view Palmer the way that they need to in fantasy football right now. There’s a possibility that it’s because he was hyped up so much last year and failed to produce as the WR1 when Keenan Allen and Mike Williams went down. However, there’s plenty of context surrounding that lack of top-tier production.

    Joe Lombardi was the offensive coordinator in Los Angeles at the time last season, and his offense clearly wasn’t a good fit for the personnel that they had in town. This is why he’s no longer the OC, and Kellen Moore now calls the plays under Brandon Staley.

    Additionally, Justin Herbert was battling through an injury for the majority of the 2022 NFL campaign that severely limited his ability to air the ball out all over the field, especially deep, which is where Palmer shines.

    MORE: 3 Potential Fantasy Replacements for De’Von Achane

    With Allen healthy now in 2023 but Williams done for the year, Palmer has a chance to deliver weekly top-30 production at the WR position for fantasy football.

    Quentin Johnston has plenty of upside, but he’s going to need time to develop and prove that he’s a reliable pass catcher.

    The benefit to going and acquiring Palmer in your league is that his bye week is now past him. This is a massive advantage for the remainder of the year, especially over the next four weeks, where you don’t have to worry about filling in that WR3 role on your roster.

    Interested in seeing what it would take to acquire Palmer in your fantasy football league, though? Run some trade scenarios through our free Trade Analyzer and see what you can get him for in your league!

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