Fantasy Football Implications of Chris Olave and Marvin Harrison Jr. Suffering Concussions
Two star NFC wide receivers left Week 6 early with concussions. Who stepped up, and what could it look like if either WR1 misses multiple weeks?
Both Chris Olave and Marvin Harrison Jr. left in the first half of Week 6 with concussions. Olave’s injury took place when he caught the ball and was hit hard by two defenders. Harrison took a shot on an incomplete pass, stood up, then stumbled and fell back to the ground.
Bub Means led the Saints’ receivers with five receptions, 45 yards, and a touchdown. Tight ends Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson each had right around 50 yards, and the always involved Alvin Kamara caught five passes, though for just 24 yards.
Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch were the only two receivers to catch passes for the Cardinals, combining for five receptions, 57 yards, and a touchdown (scored by Wilson, though Dortch had 60% of the catches and yards). Backs Emari Demercardo (five catches, 39 yards) and James Conner (four for 22) each got involved, and tight end Trey McBride led the way with eight receptions for 96 yards.
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Fantasy Impact
If either star receiver misses time, targets will have to be soaked up by other guys. Rashid Shaheed is a boom-or-bust player for New Orleans. He returned a punt for a touchdown in Week 6 but only caught one pass for 11 yards. Both Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Mason Tipton were lightly involved.
Means will be the big waiver name, as the rookie had his first catch and touchdown in this one. Spencer Rattler started at quarterback for New Orleans, and though he looked OK at times, he represents a lower floor and ceiling for his pass catchers. Derek Carr’s potential return will mean the most for these guys along with the expanded opportunity.
Wilson and Dortch are the receivers who would benefit most in Arizona, but both guys are middling at best rather than exciting players ready to break out. Wilson is the better option; he has two games with more than 50 yards and has been more productive overall. Dortch isn’t too far behind, though, making this closer to a 50/50 proposition (with Wilson still favored).
Fantasy Advice
Both New Orleans and Arizona have tougher matchups in Week 7, with the Saints facing the Broncos on Thursday night and Arizona hosting the Chargers Monday night. Prior to Week 6, Denver had allowed the third-least pass yards per attempt, and LA was a little better than average.
Even with more targets available, no one on the Saints or Cardinals is better than a WR3/4/flex option if the two stars are out. It’s fine to grab Shaheed, Wilson, Dortch, or Means (in that order) if you are short at receiver or want a lottery ticket, but don’t expect any of them to produce much in Week 7 or in the future.
The tight ends and backs might benefit most from the absence of the star receivers, as McBride essentially took over the WR1 spot, and Kamara acts as a quasi-WR1 when Carr decides he doesn’t want to throw more than five yards downfield. I’m not looking for much from the wide receivers outside of Olave and Harrison.
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