Amon-Ra St. Brown Injury: Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups

With the injury to Amon-Ra St. Brown, fantasy football managers are left with a potential void on their roster. Let’s check out the extent of the injury and players you can target on your fantasy football waiver wire this week. And also be sure to check out all of our full fantasy football waiver wire pickups for the week.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Injury Replacements

Injury Outlook

Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) not expected to go on IR
Amon-Ra St. Brown is not expected to land on IR after injuring his ankle in Thursday’s game.

Fantasy Impact

St. Brown exited the Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Packers in the first quarter after sustaining an ankle injury. The injury has been labeled as a low-ankle sprain, leaving the star wide receiver with a week-to-week status. Ultimately, this is positive news for the Lions, who will play just one game over the next 16 days.
– Nate Miller

Waiver Wire Replacements to Target: Wide Receivers

Written by Derek Brown

Jayden Higgins (WR – HOU): 35% Rostered

Next Opponents: @KC, ARI, LV
True Value: $6
Desperate Need: $9
Budget-Minded: $4

Analysis: Jayden Higgins‘ role in the Houston offense has been growing. Since Week 11, he has had two top-24 weekly finishes (WR22, WR23). In Week 12, he had a 67.7% route share, a 30% target share, a 51.3% air-yard share, 38 receiving yards, 1.81 yards per route run and a 38.9% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. In Week 13, Higgins didn’t post gaudy numbers but still had a 63.1% route share, a 14.2% target share and was second on the team with 65 receiving yards. Higgins doesn’t have a tough matchup again until Week 17 against the Chargers. He’s firmly on the WR3/Flex radar for the rest of the season.

Adonai Mitchell (WR – NYJ): 2% Rostered

Next Opponents: MIA, @JAX, @NO
True Value: $4
Desperate Need: $6
Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: The regression game was coming for Adonai Mitchell. His usage with the Jets before Week 13 had been too good not to catch fire and lead to a big week eventually. In Weeks 11-12, Mitchell had a 23.6% target share, a 35.5% first-read share and a 62.5% air-yard share, but he had only 26 receiving yards per game, 1.13 yards per route run and three drops to show for it, per Fantasy Points Data. In Week 13, Mitchell torched the Falcons with a 36.3% target share, eight receptions and 102 receiving yards. I’m not saying he will continue to produce at that pace moving forward, but he is the clear No. 1 WR for the Jets right now. I don’t want to use Mitchell as a Flex option in Week 14 against an improved Dolphins secondary, but his two matchups after that are wonderful. Since Week 8, the Jaguars and Saints have, respectively, allowed the fourth-most and seventh-most PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers.

John Metchie III (WR – NYJ): 14% Rostered

Next Opponents: MIA, @JAX, @NO
True Value: $2
Desperate Need: $4
Budget-Minded: $1

Analysis: In Weeks 11-12, John Metchie was the WR18 and WR11 in weekly scoring. In those games, he had an 18.2% target share with 55 receiving yards per game, 2.08 yards per route run and a 19.4% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. In Week 13, Metchie finally cooled off with only four receptions and 19 scoreless receiving yards, but he still had a 24.2% target share. Metchie will continue to be a nice PPR Flex moving forward. I don’t want to play him in the Flex against the Dolphins, but the Jaguars’ and Saints’ secondaries are exploitable. Since Week 8, the Jaguars and Saints, respectively, have allowed the fourth-most and seventh-most PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers.

Kayshon Boutte (WR – NE): 33% Rostered

Next Opponents: BYE, BUF, @BAL
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: Kayshon Boutte is the WR42 in fantasy points per game with four top-24 weekly finishes this season. He has run incredibly hot with touchdowns (five) despite only seeing one red-zone target. Overall, he has had an 11% target share with 44.6 receiving yards per game, 1.81 yards per route run and a 13.4% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. He has operated as the team’s field stretcher with nine deep targets, which amounts to 28.1% of his target volume this season. After his bye, Boutte could have solid Flex performances against the Bills and Ravens. Buffalo has allowed the 12th-highest deep completion rate, while Baltimore is 14th in the same category.

Devaughn Vele (WR – NO): 1% Rostered

Next Opponents: @TB, CAR, NYJ
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: Devaughn Vele‘s role in the Saints’ passing attack has been growing. In Week 12, he had a 16.2% target share with an uninspiring 37 scoreless receiving yards. In Week 13, he took another step forward with a standout game. Against the Dolphins’ improved secondary, he had a 21% target share with 93 receiving yards and a score. Vele doesn’t have overwhelmingly bad matchups across the next three weeks. If Vele continues to see a weekly target shave hovering in the 20% range, he’ll be a decent PPR Flex play.

Isaac TeSlaa (WR – DET): 1% Rostered

Next Opponents: DAL, @LAR, PIT
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: As long as Amon-Ra St. Brown is out (ankle), Isaac TeSlaa will have deep-league Flex appeal. His role should continue to grow as long as St. Brown is on the shelf. St. Brown will be joining Sam LaPorta in the injured Lions’ den. Last week, TeSlaa had an 83.9% route share, a 7.4% target share, 35 receiving yards and a touchdown, per Fantasy Points Data. Detroit could lean heavily on TeSlaa this week against a burnable Dallas secondary. Since Week 8, Dallas has allowed the eighth-most PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers, per Fantasy Points Data.