Should I Drop Diontae Johnson? Fantasy Football Outlook

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson was a fantasy PPR machine last year with Ben Roethlisberger but has struggled in 2022 with rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett.

Per National Fantasy Championships' ADP, Johnson was drafted as the 18th wide receiver and 40th overall player in preseason fantasy drafts.

Heading into Week 13, he is nowhere close to paying off at that draft spot, so could there be brighter days ahead or is it time to drop him?

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Diontae Johnson Fantasy Recap and Outlook

Johnsons is currently the WR40 in PPR leagues and has caught just 56 of his 94 targets for 505 yards and zero touchdowns. That puts him on track for just over 87 catches for 780 yards in 17 games. Needless to say, he's far from what fantasy managers hoped for heading into the 2022 season. He ranks 10th in the NFL in targets, so he's been far and away the least efficient wide receiver when looking at targets and EPA (expected points added).

The departure of Chase Claypool resulted in false hope for Johnson's fantasy managers, but he has averaged fewer than 10 fantasy points per game in those three contests without Claypool.

Looking ahead, Johnson has three games against top 10 matchups for wide receivers remaining in the fantasy football season (Week 17 finale). Games against Atlanta (Week 13) and Baltimore (Week 14, 17) should set Johnson up for success, but there's no guarantee based on his resume thus far.

Should I Drop Diontae Johnson?

It's weird to even be considering dropping a player who ranks top-10 in targets, but that's just how ineffective Johnson has been as a fantasy asset.

Ultimately, even though Johnson has been a major fantasy bust, the waiver wire is ultra-thin, so it might be worth holding onto him as juicy matchups await. In leagues with 10 teams or fewer, it's probably time to cut him loose, but it's hard to imagine there being much better options available on waivers in leagues deeper than that.

If Kenny Pickett takes a step forward in his last six games of the year, Johnson will be very much on the fantasy radar. His upside is capped, but he has a more secure floor than most of the wide receivers in the NFL.

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