David Johnson is a Waiver Wire Target with Long Term Potential

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ANALYSIS: With four touchdowns through his first four NFL games, David Johnson has shown a nose for the end zone. He’s also shown great versatility by scoring as a runner, a receiver and a returner for the Arizona Cardinals. The future is clearly bright for the third round pick out of Northern Iowa.

Opportunity is going to be the biggest hurdle for Johnson to overcome this year. His 222 yards from scrimmage have come on just 24 touches, and with Andre Ellington set to return next week, Johnson will have to make the most of his chances to be a productive fantasy player. Although he had another successful point total in week four, he struggled in the game with a fumble and several dropped passes, including one for a touchdown. Head Coach Bruce Arians remarked after the game that Johnson “played like a rookie.”

But on the positive side, the Cardinals are second in the league in scoring with 148 points through four games, and Ellington is injury prone. The team’s lead running back, Chris Johnson, has been remarkably durable in his eight-year NFL career, but he’s 30-years old and has seen his workload steadily decline since he ate up 2,509 yards from scrimmage on 411 touches in 2009.

So, despite his inevitable growing pains, David Johnson should continue to be a playmaker with the potential to become one of the season’s biggest breakout stars in an offense that has been desperate for a workhorse back over the last seven years.