Target these under-the-radar wide receivers to navigate the injury apocalypse

It is a sad state of affairs for the wide receiver position here in Week 7.

Though we may be seeing the return of top players such as CeeDee Lamb and Mike Evans, there are still a number of injuries affecting the fantasy football community. 

Everyone’s darling, Emeka Egbuka, is out with a hamstring injury. Puka Nacua is out, and Garrett Wilson also is not expected to play.

And the news reports are vague, at best, regarding the availability of Terry McLaurin, DJ Moore, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Ricky Pearsall.

Finding the right wide receivers to stream into your fantasy lineups this week might seem like a daunting task, but there is certainly help available.

Rather than try to solve the riddle of which Johnson in Tampa Bay is the right play this week, Tez or Kameron, start your search with Denver’s Troy Franklin.

The Broncos are hosting the Giants and their middling pass defense this week, and Franklin should be in line for some strong targets. 

The second-year wideout who has an established on-field rapport with quarterback Bo Nix that dates back to their time spent together at the University of Oregon, plays a 60 percent snap share and averages six targets per game as the Broncos Z receiver. 

The Giants rank 27th against the opposing No. 2 receiver and are allowing an average of nearly 80 yards per game to them.

Franklin can stretch the field and should have no issues finding success against the Giants’ corners or coverage scheme.

You also can take a look at Chicago’s Luther Burden, who is expected to see an increased snap count and target share with the expectation that Moore either sits or remains limited with a groin injury that saw him hospitalized after Monday’s game.

Burden operates as a field-stretching Z receiver for the Bears, but he has also seen snaps out of the slot in recent weeks.

The Saints rank 24th against the opponent’s second receiver and 21st against the slot.

Given Burden’s talents to pick up heavy yards after the catch, he definitely is someone to keep your eye on.

Two others who deserve your attention are Green Bay’s Matthew Golden and Tennessee’s Elic Ayomanor.

We are not expecting Calvin Ridley on the field this week, which means more than the six targets per game Ayomanor has already been receiving.

The Patriots, though typically a sound team, are on their third-straight road game, and those in the betting community know what that can mean — especially after the Titans have fired their head coach and are starting fresh. 

Golden is a speedster who has been seeing an increase in slot snaps, and his usage rates have gone up. He faces a Cardinals team that is dealing with injuries in the secondary.

Betting on the NFL?

The injury bug takes a bite out of everyone at some point during the season.

There is no reason to panic, as there is help in several places.

That is the beauty of fantasy football: You might not be starting marquee names to replace your fallen stars, but you can always find a stop-gap to provide you the necessary points if you know where to look.

Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football news and advice.