X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Disaster Recovery Week 7 - Can David Johnson Be Saved?

David Johnson has had a rough start to the season. Can he be saved? Steve Rebeiro examines his fantasy value.

Welcome to Disaster Recovery, where each week I'll examine why your studs played like duds.

This isn't a place to find out why you should have benched a player for somebody on your bench. Disaster Recovery is to examine the guys who you didn't think twice about benching, and deciding if you should be panicking at all about their value moving forward.

This season we'll be covering one dud per week. There will be two major qualifiers: the player must have performed well below expectations without an injury, and the player must be considered a must-start in most formats.

Editor's Note: Steer clear of costly draft mistakes with RotoBaller’s expert Fantasy Football Bust analysis. We break down overvalued players, potential letdowns, and risky ADPs to avoid, so you can build a smarter, safer roster.

 

Rankings System

I'll also be implementing a new panic meter ranking system this year. It goes as follows:

  1. This week was a fluke. Don't panic!
  2. I still have full faith in this player, but there are some red flags. Be cautiously optimistic moving forward.
  3. There are genuine concerns here. Consider selling on name value, but don't panic too much unless you receive an offer you can't refuse.
  4. This player will not be the player you expected him to be. Regardless, his value may be too low to trade, and his ceiling is going to be better than anything you can get in return. Panic, but hold tight.
  5. Absolutely abandon ship. We're not coming back from this.

 
Week 7 features the first returning suspect of the season: Arizona's David Johnson.

 

Down on David

David Johnson's Week 7 stat-line: 14 rushes for 39 yards and 3 receptions for 31 yards.

I just read that line again, saw that he had over 70 total yards, and quickly thought that he had a decent day. This is DAVID JOHNSON, and I thought 70 yards was a decent day. It's been a long year.

The Opportunity of a Lifetime

Denver's run defense was absolutely atrocious heading into this matchup. The Broncos had given up 593 yards over the previous two games, including a 214-yard performance from Isaiah Crowell. Johnson had been trending upward over the previous three weeks, scoring four touchdowns during that stretch. This seemed destined to be the matchup that he finally broke out in.

Nope. Denver stuffed Arizona at every chance on both sides of the ball. Gameflow didn't benefit Johnson, but he still only managed four yards on his four second-half rushing attempts, and he still only caught two passes in garbage time.

The Last Straw

Arizona finally had enough of their pitiful offense after this game and relieved offensive coordinator Mike McCoy of his duties.

The Cardinals offense was a complete joke during McCoy's short stint at the helm. They rank last in total yards per game and rushing yards per game. They're second to last in points per game and passing yards per game. If Buffalo wasn't in the league, they'd be last in all four categories.

The rushing attack is averaging 64.6 yards per game. That's 14 fewer yards than Jeff Fisher's Rams averaged in 2016. It's not only an inexcusable total for a team with an elite running back, but it's also inexcusable for literally any team ever. The last time a team finished a season averaging under 70 rushing yards per game was 2000. Only three teams have finished a season with under 70 yards rushing in the entire Super Bowl era. This is historically unsustainable. Either it has to get better, or Arizona will go down as the worst rushing offense in NFL history, led by a guy coming off one of the best seasons for a back in recent NFL history.

 

The Savior Has Arrived

Replacing Mike McCoy as the team's OC is Byron Leftwich. This man literally led a game winning drive with a broken leg. If anyone can bring this offense back to life without any experience, it's him.

What should we expect?

Truthfully, it's hard to figure out how Leftwich is going to approach this offense. This was his third year as an NFL coach. He spent two years learning under Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin. You can say that Leftwich will resonate with rookie QB Josh Rosen since he's a former NFL quarterback himself, and that may have some degree of truth to it, but McCoy also played quarterback at a very high level for the University of Utah. Just because Leftwich played in the NFL doesn't mean Rosen will magically turn into a great quarterback.

The only "tape" we have on Byron Leftwich as an offensive coordinator is two preseason games from 2017, where the team allowed him to call the plays. The Cardinals had a total of 153 yards on the ground in these two games. This includes a game against the Bears in which they had, as a team, 19 carries for 40 yards. For Johnson, he ran three times in each of these games, going for 16 yards in the first and just three in the second. Cardinals running backs caught a total of 11 passes over these two games.

Head coach Steve Wilks has already been adamant that Leftwich has to make getting Johnson the ball a priority. "You definitely want to be able to try to get David Johnson going in the run game, as well as in the pass game," Wilks said. "With Byron being here before and being part of that and understanding some of the success he's had in the past, hopefully, we can tap back into some of the things that David was doing in the past." We've heard statements like this simply be empty statements from coaches, but it's better to hear them than not hear them.

The good news for Johnson is this: no matter what kind of coach takes over the offense, the clear answer to improving it is to get Johnson more touches in better situations. He's clearly the most talented player on that side of the ball. The only other proven commodity is Larry Fitzgerald, who cannot carry an offense at his age. What I would expect Leftwich to do is try to get the passing game going as quickly as possible with Johnson being a major component of the passing attack once again. If they can make Rosen a legitimate threat to make plays through the air, teams won't be stacking the box up by 35 in the third quarter. No running back can run through nine guys. It's simply never worked that way.

Panic Meter: 4/5

Somehow, David Johnson and the Cardinals are in better shape than they were when I talked about them after Week 2. That's saying a lot about how bad they are, and that's part of the reason why I'm not going to increase the panic meter on Johnson.

In PPR leagues, David Johnson ranks as the overall RB11 and is 15th among backs in fantasy points per game. He's an absolute disaster given his ADP, but he still has value, and he's going to for the rest of the season. It's unlikely Johnson becomes an RB1 this year. It's also unlikely that he becomes unplayable.

Let's circle back to the question in the headline: Can David Johnson Be Saved? It's a trick question. Arizona has been trying to save him all season. Johnson ranks fifth among backs in carries and all we've been talking about is how he hasn't gotten the ball enough. The volume is there and it isn't going anywhere. The Cardinals will try and feed David Johnson. They'll make this thing work or they'll die trying. Whether you want to get on or off this wild ride is your decision. Personally, I'd rather see how the ride ends than get off at the worst part of it.

What To Watch For

Signs of life. Arizona has been awful on the offensive side of the ball this year. If Johnson can tally up close to a hundred total yards and a touchdown, it will be a start. Watch for how Leftwich attempts to get Johnson the ball in positions he can succeed.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Anthony Santander

Hoping to Hit Soon
Luis Robert Jr.

Returning in Short Order
Alex Bregman

Could Return Later This Week
Ketel Marte

Day-to-Day with Groin Tightness
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Hunter Greene

Suffers Setback on Monday
Philadelphia 76ers

Kyle Lowry Staying With 76ers
Kyle Anderson

Lands in Utah
Kevin Love

Traded to Jazz in 3-Team Swap
Norman Powell

Traded to Miami
John Collins

Dealt to Clippers
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied For 14 at Travelers Championship
Xander Schauffele

Finishes Tied For 61 at Travelers Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Tied For 17 at Travelers Championship
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For 11 at John Deere Classic
Viktor Hovland

Withdraws From Travelers Championship
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For Second at Travelers Championship
Brian Campbell

Wins John Deere Classic
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 10 Points
Harrison Ingram

Limited on Sunday
Golden State Warriors

Isaiah Mobley Drops 16 Points
Ryan Rollins

Staying with Bucks
T.J. Watt

Pittsburgh Still Not Close on New Contract
Terry McLaurin

Still Not Pleased with Contract Situation
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Yu Darvish

to Make Season Debut on Monday
MLB

Nationals Fire Dave Martinez, Mike Rizzo
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
KaVontae Turpin

Arrested on Two Charges
Cole Ragans

to Begin Throwing on Monday
Theo Johnson

Prioritizing his Health this Offseason
Andrés Giménez

Andres Gimenez Hits 10-Day Injured List
Jermaine Burton

Continues to Show Growth
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
Austin Cindric

Remains an Overrated Road Racer
Cam Ward

"Not Expecting" to be handed Starting Job
Chase Claypool

Eager to Get Back on the Field
Wyatt Langford

Activated, Playing on Saturday
Jay Huff

on the Move to Indiana
Cam Whitmore

Wizards Acquire Cam Whitmore from the Rockets
LaJohntay Wester

Stands out on Special Teams
Clarke Schmidt

Likely to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nolan Arenado

Scratched from Saturday's Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Starting on Saturday
Corbin Carroll

Activated from 10-Day Injured List
Cincinnati Bengals

Shemar Stewart, Bengals Continue Contract Talks, No Progress Made
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Potential Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade may not Happen Until "August, September"
Ha-Seong Kim

Removed Early During Season Debut
ARI

Christian Fischer Retires From NHL at 28
NHL

Spencer Martin Moves to Russia
WAS

Anthony Beauvillier Re-Signs With Capitals for Two Years
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sitting Out With Foot Issue
Isaiah Neyor

Impresses at Minicamp
Jock Landale

Waived by Rockets
Bo Bichette

Back in Blue Jays Lineup
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Considering Returning to Europe
Miles Sanders

Works With Starters During Mandatory Minicamp
Jabari Walker

Signs Two-Way Deal With Sixers
Chimere Dike

Titans Could Move Chimere Dike Inside
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith not Guaranteed Roster Spot
Anthony Bradford

Working Hard to Win Back Starting Job
Byron Young

Still Improving?
Cody Simon

Jonathan Gannon has Been Impressed With Cody Simon
SirVocea Dennis

has Impressive Offseason
Trevor Penning

Could Still Have a Role in New Orleans
Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors Decline Recent Offer for Jonathan Kuminga
Moritz Wagner

Magic Agree to One-Year Deal
Clarke Schmidt

Placed on Injured List
José Soriano

Jose Soriano Throws Gem Against Braves
Robbie Ray

Earns Ninth Win in Complete Game
T.J. Watt

Likely to Reset the Edge-Rush Market
George Springer

Blasts Two Homers, Drives in Four
Bradley Beal

Suns Discussing Potential Buyout
Jaxson Hayes

Staying with the Lakers
NBA

Damian Lillard "Open" to Signing With a Team This Offseason
Pittsburgh Steelers

Omar Khan, Steelers Agree to Three-Year Contract
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
Chau Smith-Wade

Having Stellar Offseason
Ace Bailey

Inks Rookie Contract With Jazz
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs with Islanders for Two Years
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal with Mammoth
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF