RADIO
There were a slew of serious injuries in the first week of the NFL season and Andre Ellington was one of the unfortunate players to suffer one. Ellington suffered a Grade 1 PCL sprain and it has been estimated that he will miss 2-3 weeks. During that time, the Cardinals will have to turn to either veteran Chris Johnson or rookie David Johnson to fill Ellington’s shoes. While both players have displayed NFL upside, which running back will have more fantasy value?
Everyone knows CJ2K from his sophomore season, in which he totaled 408 touches for 2,509 yards and 16 touchdowns. After that season, his career continuously was on the decline, and he hasn’t been fantasy relevant since the 2013 season. He struggled in relief duty on Sunday, carrying the ball 10 times for only 37 yards. While his struggles the last couple of seasons have been well documented, he has always been a volume player because of his home-run ability. He also has proven in his career that he has good hands, averaging over 40 catches per season.
The lesser known, and potentially more talented, of the two replacements is David Johnson. Johnson was the Cardinals third round pick this season out of Northern Iowa. He dominated for four years in college, touching the ball 1,007 times for 6,416 yards and 63 touchdowns. He boasted a 6’1”, 224 lbs frame at the NFL Combine, which further put him on the NFL radar. He finished 4th in the 40-yard dash (4.50 seconds), 4th in the bench press (25 reps), 2nd in the vertical jump (41.5 inches), 2nd in the broad jump (10’7”), and 2nd in the 3-cone drill (6.82 seconds). While these numbers do not show football IQ, they do show that Johnson has all of the physical tools to be a successful NFL player. Johnson’s explosion was flashed during week 1, as he took his only touch for a 55-yard touchdown.
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While the paragraphs above clearly show that David Johnson is the more talented runner, fantasy football is not all about talent. It’s about opportunity and volume. Bruce Arians is one of few coaches that does not like starting rookies in the NFL. He recently told the media that he wants rookies to earn their roles and he does not want to put too much pressure on David Johnson. Chris Johnson also told the media on Monday that he was “preparing like he was getting 20 to 25 touches this game.”
Chris Johnson has already been named the starter, and he’s the more appealing fantasy option this week. CJ2K has proven that he can be a fantasy asset if he gets enough touches, and I’m expecting the Cardinals to give him more than enough opportunities to break a long run. David Johnson can be added in season long leagues, as he’s too talented for Arians to keep off of the field, regardless of his NFL experience. Overall, CJ2K is the better play this week, but David Johnson has more upside in the long term.
