Chargers TE Hunter Henry
Stephen A. Smith cover your ears, because your favorite NFL tight end has once again gone down with a devastating injury. The Los Angeles Chargers announced Wednesday afternoon that pass-catcher Hunter Henry suffered a tibia plateau fracture to his left knee during Sunday’s victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
There is no set time-table for Henry to return to the Bolts lineup, however, Los Angeles seems to be optimistic that they will get Henry back within a month or so.
The Chargers, per usual, have been hit by the injury bug early this season. First, it was stud safety Derwin James who sustained a serious foot injury, likely keeping him on the mend for three to four months. Now, LA will be without one of the most complete tight ends in the NFL for at least four weeks. Add in the fact that Melvin Gordon is still holding out, and the Chargers are quickly thinning out with playmakers on both sides of the ball.
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Is Henry’s Fantasy Replacement In-House?
Henry produced a respectable ten points vs. the Colts in week one. Not bad for a guy who missed the entirety of the 2018 regular season with injury.
Henry was likely plugged in as a TE1 on the majority of fantasy teams he was drafted by. Making Henry’s injury a major blow to not only the Chargers but also a plethora of fantasy owners.
If you’re thinking of simply grabbing Henry’s backup in hopes that he produces at the same rate as Henry, think again. Virgil Green is the next man up on the Chargers depth chart. Green is an excellent run blocker, however, lacks the ability to pose as much of a threat in the receiving game. Green hauled in just 19 receptions and one touchdown in 2018 while serving as an injury replacement for Henry.
Potential Waiver Wire Adds
With the waiver wire deadline passing in the majority of leagues early Wednesday morning, you likely missed out on a few plug-and-play options. If you happened to snatch Lions rookie TJ Hockenson or Darren Waller consider yourself lucky. Both tight ends are major parts of their team’s offense and will be in the TE1 conversation for the foreseeable future. However, if you weren’t able to grab either Hockenson and Waller there are still a few capable options out there.
Vernon Davis – Washington Redskins
As fellow ‘Skins tight end Jordan Reed continues to deal with injuries, Vernon Davis continues to produce. Davis was targeted seven times on Sunday, hauling in four receptions for 59 yards, including one receiving touchdown.
Davis gets a brilliant matchup in week two against the division rival Dallas Cowboys. Dallas surrendered 28.6 fantasy points to Giants’ Evan Engram a week ago, the most by any tight end in week one.
Greg Olsen – Carolina Panthers
The days of Greg Olsen serving as a top-5 fantasy tight end year in and year out are long gone. However, Olsen is still more than serviceable in the realm of fantasy football.
Olsen’s nine targets in week one were just one less than DJ Moore’s team-leading ten. Olsen may not stretch the field the way he once did, but he still serves as a security blanket for QB Cam Newton.
Olsen gets Tampa Bay on Thursday night, a team that allowed 34 touchdown passes in 2018, the third most in all the NFL.
Noah Fant – Denver Broncos
Fant is the biggest flyer on this list, however, he is also the most talented. The first-round pick out of Iowa got off to a rocky start in his first NFL game, catching just two passes for 29 yards.
Still, Fant was targeted five times on Monday night and looks to be a major part of the Denver offense moving forward.
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