K.J. Osborn, Best Fantasy Waiver-Wire WR Options After Justin Jefferson's Injury | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Fantasy managers in a bind because of the injury to Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson have a lot of options on the waiver wire to choose from going into Week 6.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday that Jefferson is going to be placed on injured reserve due to the hamstring injury he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Pelissero noted an exact timetable for Jefferson's return will depend on how he responds to treatment, but the move to IR will keep him out of action for at least the next four games.

The three-time Pro Bowler ranks sixth in fantasy scoring among all wide receivers with 109.1 points in PPR leagues. Week 5 was the first time all season he didn't score at least 24 points in a game.

It will be impossible to find anyone who can make the same level of fantasy impact as Jefferson on a week-to-week basis, but there are quality players on the waiver wire if you know where to look.

K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings

The most obvious waiver-wire target is K.J. Osborn since he will be starting alongside Jordan Addison for the Vikings until Jefferson is able to return.

Addison is the biggest beneficiary of Jefferson's absence, but he's not really a good waiver addition since he's rostered in more than 80 percent of both ESPN and Yahoo leagues.

Osborn, in his fourth season with the Vikings, has been a steady performer throughout his career. He's had at least 650 receiving yards in each of the previous two seasons and caught 12 touchdowns in 34 games during that span.

The addition of Addison in the Vikings offense this season has impacted Osborn's production. He's on pace to set career-lows in catch percentage (50.0), receptions per game (2.6), yards per game (33.2) and success rate (34.6 percent).

Jefferson is averaging 10.6 targets per game that will now have to be distributed elsewhere. Osborn had his most productive outing of the season with nine targets, five receptions and 49 yards against the Chiefs.

Despite his limited production so far, Osborn has been on the field a lot. He's played at least 83 percent of Minnesota's offensive snaps in each of the first five weeks.

There are going to be a lot more opportunities available to Osborn. His familiarity with head coach Kevin O'Connell's system and quarterback Kirk Cousins should make him a go-to guy.

The Vikings have a favorable matchup against the Chicago Bears in Week 6. The Bears have allowed the second-most receiving touchdowns (12) and third-most receiving yards per game (295.2) this season.

Osborn is available in 91 percent of Yahoo leagues and 78 percent of ESPN leagues.

D.J. Chark Jr., Carolina Panthers

Betting on anyone for the Carolina Panthers is a significant risk. Adam Thielen is the only player on the roster with at least 300 yards from scrimmage through five games.

D.J. Chark Jr. has been extremely hit-or-miss in fantasy this season. He had one reception for 15 yards in Week 2 and two receptions for 28 yards in Week 4.

Week 3 has been Chark's high-water mark of the season when he had 11 targets, four catches, 86 yards and a touchdown reception in a 37-27 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions saw Chark record 42 yards and a score. His touchdown came in garbage time when the Panthers were trailing 35-10 in the fourth quarter.

The good news is there could be a lot of garbage time for the Panthers again this week. After allowing 42 points to the Lions, Carolina is traveling to Hard Rock Stadium to take on the high-powered Miami Dolphins offense.

Chark shouldn't be hard to find on the waiver wire. He's available in 88 percent of Yahoo leagues and 59 percent of ESPN leagues at the moment.

Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers

Since Justin Herbert is one of the most reliable fantasy quarterbacks, targeting the players he's throwing to is a safe strategy.

Coming off their bye in Week 5, the Los Angeles Chargers have a tough matchup against a Dallas Cowboys team that will be looking to rebound after a 42-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

This will be the second game the Chargers have played since Mike Williams' season ended when he tore his ACL in a Week 3 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Despite playing in just three of the team's four games, he had 19 receptions, 249 yards and a touchdown on 26 targets.

Herbert still has Keenan Allen as his primary go-to target, but the rest of the receiving corps is going to get more opportunities with Williams out of action.

Palmer has seen increased usage recently with 15 targets in the past two games. He's turned those looks into seven receptions for 143 yards and one touchdown. The 24-year-old played a season-high 86 percent of the offensive snaps in the Chargers' last game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4.

Despite what happened on Sunday, the Cowboys defense still figures to be a tough matchup for most teams all season. Michael Wilson of the Arizona Cardinals and Garrett Wilson of the New York Jets are the only players who have had at least 70 receiving yards in a game against Dallas this season.

This is a bet on Herbert being able to elevate Los Angeles' offense as much as it is on Palmer putting up big numbers. If the former happens, the latter has a great chance of becoming a reality.

Palmer is currently rostered in 53 percent of Yahoo leagues and 40 percent of ESPN leagues.

Josh Reynolds, Detroit Lions

Playing without Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs in Week 5, the Lions still put up 42 points against the Panthers.

It's a testament to the job Detroit general manager Brad Holmes has done filling out the roster with high-level playmakers, the play-calling by offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the steady hand of Jared Goff under center.

One of those playmakers who needs to start getting more fantasy attention is Josh Reynolds. The seven-year veteran is having the best season of his career in 2023. He is tied for the Lions lead in touchdown receptions (three), ranks second in receiving yards (291), third in targets (24) and receptions (16).

Among players with at least 20 targets, Reynolds' 18.2 yards per receptions ranks third in the NFL behind D.J. Moore (19.7) and Nico Collins (18.7).

The most encouraging sign for Reynolds maintaining his performance going forward is the success he was having even in games when St. Brown and Gibbs were available. He's had at least seven targets and 66 receiving yards in each of his four games.

Jameson Williams' return to the lineup adds another potential option to the mix for Goff, but Reynolds has been a steady presence already in the offense that he figures to see plenty of looks in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and beyond.

Reynolds is rostered in 41 percent of Yahoo leagues and 25 percent of ESPN leagues.