Arizona Cardinals star looking to regain top fantasy status
By Jim Koch
Fantasy football prognosticators are predicting a bounceback season for Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson in 2019
Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson was sitting on top of the fantasy football world just a couple of years ago. The talented offensive weapon had racked up outstanding numbers during his first two NFL campaigns, and was the top-rated player in many fantasy leagues. Johnson’s statistics, however, have been on the downslide ever since.
The Cards workhorse, after being selected number-one in countless drafts, became the fantasy disappointment of 2017. Johnson suffered a wrist injury during an opening-day loss to the Detroit Lions, and missed the remainder of the season. There was some optimism that the dual-threat performer would return at some point during the year, but it never happened.
After recovering fully from the wrist surgery that he underwent in September of ’17, Johnson was hoping for a rebound performance in 2018. The Northern Iowa University product started 16 games, finishing with 1,386 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns. The numbers weren’t terrible, but fantasy players who had given Johnson another chance were more than likely expecting more.
His statistics in ’18 were a far cry from what Johnson had tallied during his first two campaigns in the league. In 2015, the Arizona rookie accumulated 1.038 yards from scrimmage in 16 appearances (five starts). Johnson also registered 13 total touchdowns, proving that he had a distinct nose for the end zone.
A year later, in 2016, Johnson reached fantasy-star status. The second-year professional recorded 1,239 rushing yards, and another 879 yards on 80 catches. Even more impressive than the yardage totals was the fact that Johnson scored a remarkable 20 touchdowns.
Top 100 Cardinals players in franchise history: 70-61. dark. Next
Big things are expected once again from Johnson this coming fall. Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury has promised that his starting running back will be utilized heavily in the “Air Raid” offense that he is implementing. Fantasy football owners would be wise to give Johnson one more shot to prove that he is worthy of being a first-round selection.