RADIO
So you got the first pick in your league. Awesome. You considered Le'veon Bell, but his injury history scared you off a bit. Same with Odell Beckham Jr. Antonio Brown was appealing, but a wide receiver first? Hmmm. Heck maybe you even considered Ezekiel Elliot, if you drafted before the news of his suspension. But ultimately, you went with the safe pick, the young, productive running back in Arizona who has no injury history and is guaranteed to produce. Yes you likely picked Mr. David Johnson first overall, feeling perfectly confident about the pick. Welp.
On Sunday against the Detroit Lions, David Johnson suffered a wrist injury. He initially attempted to play through it, but fumbled on the next play and was removed. Fantasy owners who feared the worst had their fears confirmed when the Cardinals announced that Johnson would indeed undergo surgery on his dislocated left wrist and would miss 2-3 months. Johnson looks unlikely to return until week 13, and there is no guarantee he comes back as the player he was expected to be this season.
So what's next? While it is not feasible to replace all of Johnson's production with just one player, there are definitely guys out there that could be added to your fantasy roster to help ease the sting of losing your number one pick halfway into the first game of the season.
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Johnson's Impact in Arizona
The loss of Johnson for the Cardinals does not just affect his fantasy owners, but it impacts the whole Cardinals team. Quarterback Carson Palmer, receivers Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown and even kicker Phil Dawson are all affected by this injury. Losing a dynamic back like Johnson may seem like a good thing for a quarterback and receiver, at least from a fantasy perspective, but not having a steady running back who can push forward and move the chains will likely keep the Cardinals off the field more often, giving Palmer less opportunities to move the ball through the air. Additionally, defenses may opt to drop back more, testing the run game and putting more coverage on the receivers. Each of Palmer, Fitzgerald and Brown may suffer a small decline in their fantasy output going forward. Johnson is the rare dynamic playmaker that impacts an entire offense when he is in the game, and this injury unfortunately derails a promising team as they look to make the play-offs yet again in the NFC.
How to Ease the Pain of Losing DJ
HANDCUFF/IN HOUSE OPTIONS
The first place most fantasy owners will look to replace Johnson will be in Arizona, as someone has to take the carries lost when he went down. As of now it appears the primary beneficiary will be running back Kerwynn Williams, who will take on the majority of snaps behind Carson Palmer and the Cardinals. Williams has posted a fantastic 5.4 YPC in 103 career carries and obviously gets a huge boost in value with Johnson out. However, the presence of Andre Ellington as a pass-catching back limits Williams' value, especially in PPR leagues. Williams is the back you want in the Arizona backfield for now, but a timeshare makes him at best an RB2. Ellington can be added in deep PPR leagues, but is not likely to get enough touches to make a big impact. The addition of veteran Chris Johnson is a depth move, he is very unlikely to make any sort of fantasy impact, barring more injuries to the Arizona backfield.
WAIVER WIRE RB
If Williams isn't enough, or if a savvy fantasy owner snapped him up before you could grab your handcuff, there are a couple solid running back options out there who are still available in 50+ percent of leagues that could provide a boost to your DJ-less team. Keep your eyes peeled on the waiver wire for value in the coming weeks by checking in with our always-up-to-date WW list for players like these:
Coach Pete Carroll said he is "anxious to see more" of Chris Carson in a week 2 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Carson rushed six times for 39 yards and had one reception for 10 yards in week 1. Carson appears to have usurped preseason sleeper C.J. Prosise on the depth chart in Seattle, so even the return of starter Thomas Rawls shouldn't keep Carson off the field. Eddie Lacy's disappointing week 1 is all the more reason to believe in Carson moving forward. He is a RB3/flex play at the moment, but could certainly develop into more as the season goes on.
White may have only had 38 yards on the ground in week 1, but his three receptions for 30 yards make him an appealing back in PPR formats. Mike Gillislee is expected to do the majority of the damage in New England, but White definitely has appeal due to his pass-catching abilities. New England has been known to find diamond in the rough type running backs, and coach Bill Belichick is not afraid to change things up mid-season. Don't be surprised to see White take on a bigger role as the season goes on, which could bump him up into must-start territory down the stretch.
Cohen's phenomenal game in week 1 is not going to leapfrog him ahead of Jordan Howard, but it is worth pointing out that Howard had 38 snaps compared to Cohen's 28. Cohen is a great pickup in PPR leagues if he is available, as it is conceivable he will see 6-8 targets per game going forward. Chicago looks likely to be playing from behind a lot this season, and Cohen's ability to catch the ball and use his tremendous speed could make him a special fantasy player as the year goes on.
