Sunday Debate: David Johnson Is Top Fantasy Running Back
Football is inching closer and closer and Fantasy Football is in full swing now. I’m sure everyone reading this is just as anxious as us! This week in our Sunday Debate Mark Morales-Smith and Brendan Pignataro will focus on the Fantasy world and debate who the best running back is for your Fantasy team. David Johnson or Todd Gurley?
Unlike most weeks, Brendan can make a very strong case this week and this one could really go either way. My undefeated streak could be in a tad bit of trouble. However, while this may be a tough debate, I will ultimately reign supreme as always. I’m really high on Todd Gurley and I’ll admit he may be the best RB in standard leagues, but we’re all adults here and we play PPR. We play IDP too, nevertheless, that’s neither here nor there. I do whole heartedly suggest it though.
Related Story: Sunday Debate: Todd Gurley Is Top Fantasy RB
David Johnson is the back to own in all PPR leagues due to Le’Veon Bell’s now three-game suspension. On top of his incredible running ability, Johnson is already among the best pass-catching backs in the league. He’s the ultimate dual-threat, well-rounded back. He can run inside, outside, catch passes and punch in touchdowns on the goal line. Gurley is yet to prove and can be a high-end pass catcher like Johnson and Bell.
Johnson is such a strong receiving back that his general manager Steve Keim declared him the greatest pass-catching back that he’s ever seen and even likened him to Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, who many consider the standard when it comes to pass-catchers out of the backfield.
“I don’t even want to talk about what I’ve seen from David Johnson, because I don’t want to jinx it,” Keim said via ESPN. “It’s scary … He’s got rare and unusual skills I’ve never seen in a back, where he’s got an erect running style, yet at the same time he has tremendous lower flexibility and lateral quickness. So that’s a weird combination, because usually those taller, upright guys are kind of straight-legged and stiff. This guy’s got an unusual knack of being able to pick and slide and do some things laterally. And then his receiving and ball skills are second to none … I mean, probably the best receiving back I’ve seen … A lot of people have compared him to Marshall Faulk, and our coaches had Marshall Faulk in Indy. I think he’s very similar in some ways athletically and in terms of ball-catching skills to Marshall.”
His ability in the passing attack is what really separates him from Gurley. Last season Johnson was eased into the offense very slowly before being thrust in as the starter due to injuries. He finished with 581 yards on 4.6 yards per carry and caught 36 passes for 457 yards while punching in 12 TDs. He put up those numbers while only being a featured starter in five games.
As I mentioned his head coach Bruce Arians really eased him in due to the fact he does not like playing rookies. However, he was cut loose for three games and given a huge workload right in the heart of the Fantasy playoffs. In those three games he totaled 472 yards from scrimmage, 11 receptions and three touchdowns.
This year Johnson is locked in as the starter and will be seeing 15-plus carries just about every game. There is no doubt he’s the clear-cut RB1. Although, I do believe Chris Johnson and even Andre Ellington will see touches, David Johnson is the dominant back in Arizona.
If you have the opportunity to draft the first running back in your fantasy league, Johnson should be your man. Still, make sure to humor Brendan and read his article as well as making your voice heard in the comments section.