Fantasy waiver wire options to replace Stefon Diggs after ACL injury
The Texans have lost wide receiver Stefon Diggs for the rest of the 2024 season. We break down fantasy football waiver wire options heading into Week 9.
The Houston Texans suffered a huge blow to their 2024 playoff chances in Week 8 as Stefon Diggs tore his ACL in the team’s 23-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The team did not immediately announce the news, but head coach DeMeco Ryans spoke to the loss on Tuesday.
In his first season with the Texans, Diggs was off to a solid start through eight games. He had caught 47 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns. It was good for 15th in average points per week and he was a key contributor to fantasy football rosters.
For dynasty leagues, he is someone you’ll hang on to and place on your injured reserve if you have space. For re-draft leagues, you can immediately release him or otherwise use him as a drop for an upcoming waiver wire pickup.
Who should I replace Stefon Diggs with through the waiver wire?
Tank Dell takes over as the Texans No. 1 receiver for the time being. He is rostered in 91% of Yahoo! leagues so he would be a trade target rather than a waivers target. Nico Collins is expected back in the next couple weeks, but he is rostered in 99% of leagues, so he too will not be available.
It’s a sizable drop from there as their remaining notable receivers are Xavier Hutchinson, Robert Woods, and John Metchie III. Those three have a combined 14 receptions for 146 yards and no touchdowns. None is worth a waiver addition at this point.
Outside the Texans, there are some notable fantasy options. Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs ranks 11th among fantasy wide receivers over his past four weeks. He’s rostered in only 47% of leagues. Darius Slayton is having a surprisingly solid run over the past four weeks, ranking 14th and only rostered in 13% of leagues. Radhod Bateman and Keon Coleman rank 16th and 17th, respectively. Bateman is rostered in 445 of leagues while Coleman is rostered in 42% of leagues.