Andre Johnson a game-time decision, fantasy value up in the air
The Texans wide receiver has been missing practice, leaving his status in question for the weekend. We break down the fantasy implications.
Bob Levey
Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson missed practice Wednesday and Thursday, and head coach Gary Kubiak is considering him a game-time decision for Sunday's 1 p.m. game against the St. Louis Rams, according to ESPN NFL Nation reporter Tania Ganguli. Johnson has been practicing only on Fridays of late.
Johnson is still looking for his first touchdown on the season, but has two 100-plus-yard games, with 146 yards on 12 catches in Week 1 and 110 on nine catches in Week 4. Beyond those games, Johnson has been held to under 40 yards twice.
Fantasy impact: Johnson is one of those players who will often miss several practices in a row before playing on the weekend regardless, as he’s a trusted veteran, and the team would rather the fresh legs than the increased reps. As of now, it seems likely that Johnson will go, but check Friday’s updates and the pre-game reports Sunday to be sure.
If Johnson goes, he's an obvious must-start, with rookie DeAndre Hopkins being in WR3/flex territory. If Johnson were to miss the game, Hopkins climbs up the list a good bit. All that said, the struggles of quarterback Matt Schaub have to hurt the receivers' stocks. If Schaub can't get back to his regular Schaub-ness, no Texan pass-catcher will be able to realize his full potential.
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