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Should I drop Kaleb Johnson for fantasy football Week 6? Is Kaleb Johnson a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson has been perhaps the biggest disappointment of any rookie in fantasy football relative to the hype he was getting in the pre-draft process. Johnson was widely regarded as an elite RB prospect who would immediately become a three-down back in the NFL.
Through five weeks with the Steelers, we've seen the exact opposite of that occur. Rather than becoming a workhorse RB, he's done practically nothing. He hadn't even gained positive yardage in his career until Week 5, when he rushed six times for 22 yards.
That was in the absence of RB Jaylen Warren (knee), who missed Week 4 with a knee injury. Johnson backed up Kenneth Gainwell, who scored 31.4 PPR fantasy points as the lead back for that game. So, is it time to drop Johnson in fantasy football?
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Should I Drop Kaleb Johnson in Fantasy Football?
Right now, Johnson is essentially a handcuff to a handcuff. Gainwell didn't do much at all in his first three games, and is the clear RB2 in Pittsburgh behind Warren. Johnson didn't even get playing time in Week 3. He's already had multiple bad gaffes that have cost his team.
Kaleb Johnson NFL debut today:
1 Carry 🔥
-2 Yards 🔥🔥
1 Fumble 🔥
0 Speed 🧊 pic.twitter.com/HVHRaBWhNM— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) September 7, 2025
There's still a lot of optimism about Johnson. Having a few carries in Warren's absence and not fumbling the ball or getting negative yardage is a positive, but there are severe caps to Johnson's ceiling -- his lack of athleticism and inability to pass-protect well.
Johnson had the slowest 10-yard split of any running back at the 2025 NFL Combine. He needs time to build up speed, but even when he does, he's a poor tackle-breaker who fell to trip attempts innumerable times last year at Iowa.
Since we saw Kaleb Johnson look bad in his preseason game, it's worth looking at his college tape for all the bad plays I saw. A general lack of athleticism is one thing I dislike about him. We can't brush away the bad reps because of his overall stats. pic.twitter.com/lEHnwTyLlw
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) August 12, 2025
Johnson's college tape was fraught with bad reps mixed in with elite run-blocking that allowed him to pick up massive yards while often being untouched. That's not a luxury players have in the NFL. You can make up for poor blocking with great contact balance, power, and elusiveness. Johnson doesn't have those traits, according to my analysis.
Who Should I Pickup for Fantasy Football?
It makes sense to try to grab New York Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (shoulder). He's dealing with a shoulder injury, but could come back into the lineup soon. Though many believe that the Giants' backfield has been taken over by rookie Cam Skattebo, their usage in Week 3 suggests otherwise.
In Week 3, Tyrone Tracy had 10 opportunities (rushes+targets) and Cam Skattebo had 3 before Tracy got hurt. Tracy 5, Skattebo 3, Tracy 5 more.
Skattebo had 3.16 yards per carry against the Chargers. I don't think he's "taken over" the backfield. pic.twitter.com/eZ7g5At3YD
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) October 3, 2025
Also, the two biggest waiver wire heroes of Week 5, Carolina Panthers RB Rico Dowdle and Arizona Cardinals tailback Michael Carter, are both worth priority waiver pickups and plenty of FAAB if you're in a league that uses their system. Dowdle scored a massive 32.4 PPR fantasy points, and Carter logged 18.3 on Sunday.
a few Rico Dowdle touches but the plays get progressively better pic.twitter.com/blcRbdBeup
— Blande (@JustBlande) October 7, 2025
If you want to, you can take a crack at Los Angeles Chargers RB Kimani Vidal. Chargers RB Hassan Haskins is also an interesting pickup. I'd recommend that if you want to grab one of them, go for Vidal in PPR leagues and Haskins in standard leagues.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
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Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Blake Corum, Brashard Smith, Tory Horton, Tyjae Spears, Isaac TeSlaa, Taysom Hill, Jalen Coker, Emanuel Wilson, Keaton Mitchell:
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