Week 6 at Pittsburgh
David Johnson had a pair of touchdowns against the Lions last week, but he only touched the ball three times on the day. Time will tell whether or not he continues to get goal line work, but that seemed to be his usage last week with the return of Andre Ellington.
This week, Johnson will go up against the Steelers, but regardless of the matchup, it’s hard to trust a player who only saw the ball a few times. He actually lost carries to Stepfan Taylor once the game stopped being competitive. Johnson has value as a stash option, but shouldn’t be counted on in most leagues at this time.
Week 5 vs. Detroit
David Johnson had just three carries for 18 yards last week against the Rams, but he did add 63 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. He was targeted 10 times in the game and his role has grown in the absence of injured Andre Ellington.
Against Detroit this week, Ellington looks set to return, which may eat into Johnson’s workload. While Detroit has struggled against the run this year, it’s hard to recommend using the rookie Johnson until we see just exactly how the carries are going to be divvied up between him, Ellington and the veteran Chris Johnson who has run well as the starter the past three weeks. Keep him on the bench.
Week 4 vs. St. Louis
David Johnson was in on 24 snaps on Sunday against the 49ers, after only being in the game on a combined 21 snaps in the first two weeks of the season. He ended up with just seven carries and three receptions for 41 yards, but it’s clear the Cardinals are looking to get him the ball a little more.
This week, he’ll face a Rams defense that has been much better against the pass than the run so far this year, but he should still get at least a half dozen touches. He has limited fantasy value as long as he’s sharing time, but he has upside as a bench guy in case he assumes a larger role in the Cardinals backfield.
Week 3 vs. San Francisco
David Johnson had a great long play in Week 1 that translated into three times as much playing time in Week 2. He logged 16 snaps and made the most of them, gaining 45 total yards from scrimmage and scoring a touchdown against Chicago.
This week, Johnson faces a 49ers defense that has been solid against the run so far this season, but gave up three touchdown runs to DeAngelo Williams on Sunday. Johnson is a big play waiting to happen and is earning more playing time, so we expect his snap count to rise even higher in Week 3. Still, he’s a risky option because Chris Johnson will still be in the mix, and fantasy owners should consider him a bit of a boom-bust option as a low end RB2 or flex option.
Week 2 at Chicago
David Johnson didn’t get to do much last week, but he made due with the opportunity given. With no carries and only two targets in the passing game, the rookie caught one pass and ran 55 yards for a late touchdown that sealed the Arizona victory.
With Andre Ellington out and the Bears up next, Johnson has the potential to get more work against a vulnerable defense. While not set to start, he’s worth a pickup in most fantasy leagues as the Cardinals try to figure out how to use him. We have him outside our top 30 right now, making him a bench guy in most leagues, but keep an eye on his usage. If he’s productive, the coaches will keep giving him the ball with veteran Chris Johnson his only competition behind Ellington.
Week 1 vs. New Orleans
David Johnson is a big, powerful runner drafted out of the Northern Iowa in the third round of the 2015 draft. Arizona will likely think of him as the thunder to Andre Ellington’s lightning at some point this season, but it’s unclear how soon he’ll be ready for a prominent role in the offense.
With a great matchup this week, Johnson could do some damage and make an early name for himself if he gets touches. The Saints were one of the worst defenses in the league last year, particularly against the run. Johnson is still behind Ellington on the depth chart however, which hurts his fantasy value at this point and we recommend caution with the rookie while we see how much work he’ll get. He’s worth rostering, but should remain on the bench for now.
Fantasy Upside
David Johnson, the Cardinals’s third-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, looked versatile during Arizona’s initial mini-camp. “Very, very bright,” head coach Bruce Arians said. “The kid can do anything as far as a wide receiver, running back, fullback. He will find a niche quickly because he can learn so much.” Arians said that incumbent starter Andre Ellington “will continue his same role” in the backfield, but GM Steve Keim also talked about Johnson as a “three-down back” who will compete for snaps.
Fantasy Downside
The rookie’s 4.50 speed is intriguing, but Johnson has been criticized for his upright running style.
Bottom Line
Whatever the case, he seems like a fit for what Arians does on offense. NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling expects Arizona to employ plenty of three-wideout sets, while using a healthy combination of Ellington and Johnson. And if the newcomer is what the Cardinals think he is, he will lighten Ellington’s load -- perhaps more than Ellington owners would like. That said, Johnson is currently going off the board as RB42. He'll need to establish a fairly significant role in order to justify that price tag.
