Detroit Lions: 3 players to avoid selecting in fantasy football
By Bob Heyrman
RB: Kerryon Johnson
This one hurts some because we are just a year removed from confidently drafting Kerryon Johnson in the first four-rounds of most fantasy football drafts.
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Adding Kerryon Johnson to the list has nothing to do with his overall talent. Johnson’s explosiveness, receiving ability, and burst out of the backfield has never been in question. This is more about his inability to remain healthy as a professional, along with the Lions using a premium pick in the 2020 draft on a highly touted runner.
The Detroit Lions drafted D’Andre Swift out of Georgia with the 35th overall pick. Swift is the preferred fantasy back, as many expect the rookie to emerge as the best option in all facets of the game as the year treks on.
As a rookie, Johnson ranked as the 33rd overall fantasy back, and last season he fell nearly out of the top 50 backs in the league. Johnson may take the first carry of the season for Detroit. Indeed he will have some decent scoring games, but I’d expect as the year goes on, he’ll be more of a handcuff play if Swift were to miss time.
Last year Johnson ran for 403 yards scoring three touchdowns. He chipped in with ten catches totaling 127 yards and an additional score. He hovered around 80 fantasy points in 2019. If he remains healthy, he should be able to compile upwards of 125 points, but that’s nothing more than an RB5 in fantasy football.
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Johnson is ok to roster and fill in during bye weeks, but if you draft the Lions runner to be a starter, you are in for a long, underwhelming fantasy season.