Week 3 – Calvin Johnson vs. Green Bay Packers
After totaling 164 yards and scoring two TDs in the opener, Carolina held Calvin Johnson in check last Sunday, as he finished with six grabs for 83 yards on a team-high 13 targets. Matthew Stafford put the ball in the air 48 times, as the Lions were trying to come back on the road. Even though Green Bay stymied the Jets passing attack last Sunday, Stafford will continue to go to Megatron regardless who’s attempting to cover him. Look for Johnson to have another solid game, with a good chance to be back in the end zone.
Week 2 – Calvin Johnson vs. Carolina Panthers
The Giants secondary had a heck of a time controlling Calvin Johnson last Monday, as he finished with seven receptions, 164 yards and two TDs. He started things off with a 67-yard score on the first possession and was back in the end zone later in the first quarter with a 16-yard grab. Matthew Stafford came Megatron’s way 11 times in the win and the QB will continue to throw it to Calvin regardless how many defenders are around him. Johnson is off to another great start to the season and is a must play even in a tough matchup.
Week 1 – Calvin Johnson vs. New York Giants
Even though he was bothered by a knee injury for much of last season, Calvin Johnson still posted great numbers, including 12 TDs. He was likely the first WR off the board in your recent draft and it’s a no-brainer that he should be started each and every week. Megatron was limited to 43 yards on three receptions by the Giants in ’13, but look for him to begin this year much better with a good chance for a score.
Fantasy Upside
There is a ton of upside every season for the game’s best WR. Calvin Johnson is over the injuries that nagged him last year and, to no one’s surprise, has looked great in camp. After his illustrious ’12 season that saw him catch 122 passes for a record 1,964 yards, he 'settled’ for 84 receptions, nearly 1,500 yards and 12 TDs last season. Calvin has been over 1,100 yards in four straight years, totaling 45 TDs during that span. To give you an idea of his importance to the team, the Lions offense ranked 13th in the NFL last year with an average of 24.7 points per game; but in the games Johnson missed at Green Bay and at Minnesota, the offense struggled mightily and scored a combined 22 points.
Fantasy Downside
Battling knee injuries for much of last season, Calvin missed a lot of practice, which he felt affected his play in games. He did not reach the 100-yard mark or score a TD after Week 13 and even missed the final (meaningless) game of the season. With new OC Joe Lombardi in place, Detroit is expected to have a more balanced attack on the ground in ’14.
Bottom Line
Megatron turns 29 in late September and has several productive years remaining, assuming he can stay healthy. Playing in 14 games last season, Johnson finished as the No. 3 WR and is anticipated to be the first WR taken in pretty much any draft. He will likely be an early-to-mid first round pick, so grab him early. If he’s able to make it through all 16 games in ’14, he should catch over 100 passes, be over 1,500 yards and again double-digit TDs.
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