Calvin Johnson won’t suit up vs. Patriots on Thursday

Johnson is dealing with knee soreness, and is expected to also sit out the team’s preseason finale as a precaution. Despite that, Johnson went through his usual routine during warmups, doing agility drills and running routes but ultimately will be benched by team brass.

Fantasy Spin: This is the case of giving a proven player an opportunity to rest during a period of time deemed pointless by many of his veteran counterparts. The Lions don’t need to assess Johnson’s ability, health, or his grasp of an offense he’s clearly mastered. If anything, fantasy owners should feel relieved that Johnson won’t have to risk further chance of injury by playing in meaningless preseason games. There is no reason to panic about his benching, and Johnson remains the top option at receiver and a lock for a first-round pick in fantasy leagues across the board.