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NFL running back Kerryon Johnson is a potential 2020 fantasy football sleeper and ADP draft value pick. He's a later-round RB flier in fantasy football drafts.
BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~90-100 Overall
CURRENT ADP: ~120
ANALYSIS: Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson saw his stock take a hit when his team used a second-round pick to select Georgia running back D'Andre Swift. Johnson has flashed plenty during his two seasons with the Lions but he has also struggled to stay on the field, playing through multiple injuries and appearing in just 18 of 32 possible games. In just eight games in 2019, Johnson tallied 403 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
But at the same time, Johnson could be in line for a heavy workload Week 1 against the Bears. The Lions drafted rookie D'Andre Swift to be the unquestioned feature back but Swift has missed a majority of training camp with an undisclosed injury. The rookie has returned to the practice field but is being brought along very slowly. This opens the door for Johnson to see a significant amount of first-team snaps when Detroit kicks off their season on September 13.
And now of course the final twist, as Adrian Peterson was recently cut by Washington. It was reported on Sunday September 6th that Peterson has now signed with the Lions, which will add more competition in the Detroit backfield and make it even more crowded. The veteran RB reportedly stated, "They're giving me an opportunity to play. I know coach (Darrell) Bevell from my days in Minnesota." At the same time, he'll likely need time to get adjusted to the offense before taking on a significant role.
There are a lot of factors at play here, and it's a murky situation to navigate. But with this type of confusion, there also can lie hidden fantasy value, especially for those who are still drafting. Having found the endzone in four of the eight contests that he appeared in last year, Johnson does have some boom potential to his game, but not having been utilized as much of a pass catcher gives him a low floor, particularly in PPR formats.
Drafting Johnson before the later rounds of fantasy football drafts would likely be a mistake -- but with his ADP slipping more and more, targeting him as a later-round flier rostering him could prove to be an intriguing short-term FLEX option once the season kicks off. For those who are thin at running back, Johnson is a low-cost draft pick with value and upside. If he doesn't work out, he can be dropped for a waiver wire pickup instead.
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