Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsWednesday, August 5, 2026

Calvin Johnson still has lingering pain; fantasy outlook for Week 7 looks bleak

Megaton’s sprained ankle is still hampering him as of Wednesday. We break down the fantasy implications.

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is still experiencing lingering pain in his ankle, according to Tim Twentyman of the team's website. Johnson is dealing with a sprained ankle that has been bothering him for several weeks and forced him out of Detroit's Week 6 game against the Minnesota Vikings. Johnson was dealing with the injury in Week 4 and Week 5 as well, against the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, and was used primarily as a decoy in those games.

That was probably not the best course of action for the overall health of his ankle, however. It’s now unclear when he will return, but the Lions are at 4-2 and have possession of first place in the NFC North. It’s possible the plan now is to hold Johnson out until Week 10, given that the Lions have a bye in Week 9. Johnson said that he’ll be back “when he feels he can do everything he has to to play at a high level,” according to Twentyman.

Of course, that means not being used as a decoy again.

Fantasy Rankings: QB RB WR TE D/ST

Fantasy Impact: Johnson hasn’t had the strongest season thus far for fantasy owners. That’s probably a huge blow to them, given that he’s billed as the best receiver in the NFL. But he was hobbled for two of the five games he played in and the blame for that falls squarely on the Lions for playing him. In his other outings, he had 164, 83 and 82 yards, respectively. Fantasy owners should plan on a replacement for Week 7 at the very least.

NFL
The most impactful injuries from NFL training camp so farThe most impactful injuries from NFL training camp so far
NFL

Tracking the big injuries so far.

By James Dator
NFL
NFL starting QBs ranked by analytics before 2026 seasonNFL starting QBs ranked by analytics before 2026 season
NFL

Breaking down every QB by overall rating and tier.

By James Dator
NFL
Best DFS picks for Patriots vs Texans in Divisional roundBest DFS picks for Patriots vs Texans in Divisional round
NFL

Chet Gresham takes us through his favorite picks for FanDuel’s Divisional round DFS matchup between the Patriots and Texans

By Chet Gresham
NFL
Best DFS picks for Bears vs Rams in Divisional roundBest DFS picks for Bears vs Rams in Divisional round
NFL

Chet Gresham takes us through his favorite picks for FanDuel’s Divisional round DFS matchup between the Bears and Rams

By Chet Gresham
NFL
Best DFS picks for Broncos vs Bills in Divisional roundBest DFS picks for Broncos vs Bills in Divisional round
NFL

Chet Gresham takes us through his favorite picks for FanDuel’s Divisional round DFS matchup between the Broncos and Bills

By Chet Gresham
NFL
Best DFS picks for Seahawks vs 49ers in Divisional roundBest DFS picks for Seahawks vs 49ers in Divisional round
NFL

Chet Gresham takes us through his favorite picks for FanDuel’s Divisional round DFS matchup between the 49ers and Seahawks

By Chet Gresham