Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds is worth a long look for Week 5 fantasy lineups

Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds has been a fantasy asset over the last three weeks, and he’s lined up for at least one more useful week in Week 5.

After being picked up off waivers from the Tennessee Titans midseason last year, Josh Reynolds averaged 16.1 yards per catch in seven games for the Detroit Lions. Given his history with Jared Goff, it doesn’t feel like an accident the Lions’ signal caller played better late in the season.

Reynolds returned to a deeper wide receiver corps in Detroit this season, and it showed in Week 1 despie playing 80 percent of the offensive snaps (one catch for 28 yards, on three targets).

In Week 2 against Washington, Reynolds again didn’t have huge numbers (three catches for 38 yards). But he did have a nice touchdown catch, and since then he’s been rolling.

In Week 3 against the Vikings, with Amon-Ra St. Brown on the field but eventually limited by a right ankle injury, Reynolds had six catches (on 10 targets) for 96 yards.

With St. Brown and DJ Chark out in Week 4 against the Seahawks, Reynolds delivered on the late-building fantasy sleeper hype with seven receptions (on eight targets) for 81 yards and a touchdown.

Josh Reynolds in line to be useful in fantasy lineups again in Week 5

Over the last three weeks (Week 2-Week 4), Reynolds has been a top-16 fantasy wide receiver across the board (standard, 0.5-point PPR, full PPR).

St. Brown may play Sunday against the New England Patriots, but Chark is out again. So Reynolds will be no worse than the Lions’ No. 2 wide receiver, assuming of course he’s active as he deals with an ankle injury of his own.

The Patriots are in the middle of the pack in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers entering Week 5 (26.8 per game; Yahoo! 0.5-point PPR). They are among the top-10 (as in stingiest) in targets and receptions allowed to the position, and they’re top half of the league in receiving yards allowed to wide receivers.

All in all, it’s a tough but not totally stifling matchup for Reynolds in Week 5. For fantasy managers in 12 or 14-team leagues looking for a WR3 or flex (with WR2 potential), there are many worse ways to go for a plug-and-play.