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Fantasy Football: Should You Start Duke Johnson?

By Zac Wassink

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The career of Cleveland Browns rookie running back Duke Johnson was not supposed to start this way.

It was believed/advertised by some that the Browns had located a steal of a draft pick by acquiring Johnson with a third-round selection. Johnson was the change-of-pace back needed to complement Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West, and he could also serve as a weapon in the passing game for quarterbacks Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel. There were even rumors heading into training camp that head coach Mike Pettine and his staff were considering pushing Johnson to the top of the depth chart.

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: How Do The QBs Rank Before Week 1?

An atomic bomb was tossed into such plans once Johnson began football activities with the Browns. He missed the first part of team OTAs because of what the Browns referred to as a “family matter,” and he was then sidelined by a hamstring problem that lingered for weeks. It was a situation similar to what New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. went through last summer, except that Johnson, unlike Beckham, was made available for on-the-field action leading up to his team’s third preseason game.

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That clean bill of health did not last long. Johnson suffered a concussion when the Browns were away to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, an injury that made him unavailable for Cleveland’s preseason finale. There were legitimate concerns that Johnson could be a spectator for Week 1 when the Browns are at the New York Jets, but such worries were put to rest after the Browns announced that Johnson had made his way through the mandatory concussion protocol.

This all leads to two obvious questions: How much will Johnson play against the Jets, and is he at all a realistic fantasy football option for Week 1 of the regular season? The answers to those queries are complicated, in part because the offense of the Browns is, on paper, a mess. Cleveland is entering MetLife Stadium this Sunday without a true No. 1 wide receiver on the roster. The Browns do not have a proven top-tier running back on the roster. McCown is a serviceable quarterback, but Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers he is not.

Since the Browns acquired McCown during the offseason, Pettine has repeatedly told reporters and anybody else who would listen that his game plan has been for the Cleveland offense to rely heavily on a rushing attack. That was all well and good when Pettine had three and maybe even four healthy running backs in his arsenal. Not only is that no longer the case. Crowell was the last man standing among the running backs of the Browns as of this past Monday.

Those looking for reasons beyond his being medically cleared to take the field on Sunday afternoon to insert Johnson into their fantasy football lineups need only examine the depth chart of the Browns. West was shipped out of town to the Tennessee Titans, eliminating an irritating and thumping pain from the heads of the Cleveland coaching staff. The Browns have yet to bring in a veteran running back, perhaps Ray Rice, not that such a signing would help the team for Week 1 at this point. Shaun Draughn is a body and not much more.

Unless Crowell is going to accumulate 30+ touches, a healthy Johnson is the only viable second option the Browns will have against the Jets. Johnson being in even a 20-80 percentage split with Crowell could make the rookie an interesting fantasy football option for deeper leagues or for owners who are looking to start a relatively inexpensive running back in a weekly fantasy football challenge. Add in that Cleveland coaches have continuously sung the praises of Johnson to reporters, and one could assume that he will play a key role in the offensive game plan on Sunday.

Not sold on starting Johnson for your fantasy football competition this week? You may be smarter than the rest of the class. Pettine has shown during his brief tenure that he is not married to concept of a depth chart, and his idea of a running-back-by-committee system has been more of a “I’m going to play whoever I want whenever I want, and do so without offering much explanation to anybody.” The coach even joked earlier this week that he was not a friend to fantasy football owners because of how he handled his offensive talent.

Remember, also, that Johnson may be “100 percent” physically, but he is nowhere near being 100 percent of a NFL running back at the moment. Johnson has had nearly zero meaningful reps, outside of some sessions during which he and teammates were wearing shorts, since being drafted. Maybe he can mirror the previously mentioned Beckham and be a hit right out of the gates despite missing out on training camp practices and preseason action. That is expecting a lot from any player, let alone from a young man who was a 77th overall draft pick.

The biggest worry with starting Johnson in Week 1 fantasy football is that he has not yet given any indication that he can be a NFL running back. Injuries happen in all sports, and they are unfortunate. They are also a way of life in this profession, and Johnson has to prove to his coaches and to fantasy football owners that he can overcome such setbacks and be a meaningful contributor for the Browns. That day may come down the road, but Johnson is still in the early stages of a journey that he may, for all we know, never complete.

The NFL Fantasy Live program on NFL Network has a weekly “Danger Zone” segment in which high-risk, high-reward fantasy football options are featured. Johnson falls under that spotlight for Week 1. How will Johnson be used by the Browns? Can he stay healthy for four quarters of NFL football? These questions did not receive positive answers during the preseason, and that is why you may want to stash Johnson on the bench of your fantasy football roster until you see him in action.

Next: Crowell Not a No. 1 Running Back

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