De'Zhaun Stribling brought a hefty dose of fantasy football hype to his NFL debut. A stellar preseason and the promise of big opportunities as the young gun in an aging and oft-injured San Francisco 49ers receiving corps made him a stable of August drafts.
Instead, it's been a frustrating start for the 33rd pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. The big, rangy speedster ran only 13 routes before an ankle injury ended his day in Melbourne, Australia. On Wednesday, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan announced he'd undergone surgery and is expected to miss around 10 weeks. That strikes at the depth of a top-heavy San Francisco receiving corps -- and creates a roster spot for needy fantasy owners.
Stribling was a high-risk, high-reward stash on the end of most benches,
so his absence creates room for the same. That's great, because that's about the best you'll find on the waiver wire after the first week of the season. Let's talk about who might be available to help -- starting with a veteran deep threat who may have already benefitted from the rookie's absence.
Demarcus Robinson, San Francisco 49ers
Robinson ran 18 routes in Stribling's place last week, turning that into three targets, two catches and 50 yards. He'll be counted on to stretch the field; his 16.7 yard average target distancewas the highest on the team vs. the Los Angeles Rams. From a point-per-reception standpoint, he leaves much to be desired. But Kyle Shanahan needs a vertical threat to create room for his receivers to run after the catch. That means a few deep balls every game to keep safeties backpedaling -- and it could lead to some boom performances from one of the most boom-bust wideouts in the league.
Kayshon Boutte, Houston Texans
Boutte's Texans debut was a disappointment. While Houston was locked in a track meet with the Buffalo Bills, the newly acquired wideout turned26 routes into only two targets.But he's a player who relies on a quarterback's trust, using his body and ball awareness to make contested catches through traffic. C.J. Stroud will come around to that -- and it will lead to growing production, we just don't know when.
Mack Hollins, New England Patriots
Boutte is a Texan. A.J. Brown is on injured reserve. Romeo Doubs was, ah, less than inspiring in his team debut. Someone has to catch passes from Drake Maye, and the MVP runner-up has repeatedly shown he's happy to lean on Hollins to bail him out. He turned five targets into 51 yards and his average target distancewas 13.4 yards downfield, providing some big play juice.
Tre Harris, Los Angeles Chargers
How serious is Ladd McConkey's rib injury? The Chargers' ostensible WR1 is listed as day-to-day, but ribs tend to be a nagging injury that drain a player each week until the offseason. That could mean a bigger role from the 2025 second round pick, who hadsix targets in its team's surprising opening Sunday lossto the Arizona Cardinals.
Antonio Williams, Washington Commanders
Swap out one Day 2 draft pick for another with Williams, who had only 10 routes in his NFL debutbut turned that into four targets, four receptions and a team-high 64 yards in Washington's 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. With Terry McLaurin fading, Williams could see his usage, and value, rise as the season wears on.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 5 fantasy replacements with De'Zhaun Stribling out most of 2026
