RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Target in Rounds 12-15 as high-end WR4
CURRENT ADP: 209 Standard, 148 PPR
ANALYSIS: The fantasy football community has written Stevie Johnson off way too early into his career. If we go back to 2012, Johnson was finishing his third consecutive season with at least 76 receptions, at least 1,000 receiving yards and at least six touchdowns. In each one of those seasons, Johnson finished no worse than a WR2 in fantasy.
An injury-plagued down year in 2013 got him traded to the San Francisco 49ers before the 2014 NFL season. There, he joined a cast of crowded receiving corps, which included Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree, Brandon Lloyd and TE Vernon Davis, who had 13 TDs in 2013. With that many weapons and a quarterback (Colin Kaepernick) that didn't throw enough to make more than two pass-catchers viable fantasy assets, Johnson's value plummeted. He finished the season with only 35 receptions, 435 yards and three TDs, all of which were his lowest since 2009.
Going into 2015, Johnson joins a depleted San Diego wide receiver group that consists of Keenan Allen, who experienced a major sophomore slump, and Malcolm Floyd, a 34-year-old one-dimensional deep threat. Former slot man Eddie Royal left the team for Chicago and left a void in the middle of the field which is where Johnson will excel this season.
Chargers’ QB Phillip Rivers had the second-highest completion percentage of his career last season (66.5%) and is willing to spread the ball around (four players finished with at least 52 receptions). With Royal gone, 91 targets are now up for grabs this season.
It would not be surprising to see Johnson finish the season with a line similar to or better than what Royal produced last season. Expect Johnson to catch around 60-65 balls for roughly 800 yards and six TDs.
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