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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson had his breakout game of the 2024 season last week against the Las Vegas Raiders. After a full season of quarterback Bryce Young being terrible, it only took two games for the Panthers to bench him in favor of backup QB Andy Dalton.
The Red Rifle, as Dalton is known, came out the gates firing and hit Johnson eight times on 14 shots, resulting in 122 yards and a touchdown. Johnson has spent much of his career with terrible quarterback play, and it was refreshing to finally see how he looks when his QB isn't throwing it to the other team or into the turf.
Johnson missed practice on Thursday and appeared on the injury report. Is Diontae Johnson hurt or healthy? Will he play in Week 4 against Cincinnati? Let's dive in.
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Diontae Johnson Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Panthers WR Diontae Johnson (groin) says he will be ready for Sunday. pic.twitter.com/AuAM0JUobN
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) September 26, 2024
There isn't much concern from anyone in the Panthers organization (or Johnson himself) that he will miss time. This is perfectly reasonable. Fantasy managers shouldn't be overly concerned. As with any injury, there's always the chance it affects his game performance or could worsen, so be sure to stay tuned for further updates.
Diontae Johnson Fantasy Football Outlook
Diontae Johnson said field conditions impacted his decision to sit out. Adds he’s good to go Sunday. pic.twitter.com/mXz2Yq4wA7
— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 26, 2024
The second is that Johnson is a great receiver. There was a lot of talk in the offseason about Johnson's poor effort, history of drops, diva mentality, and lackluster production over the last few seasons. Among Pittsburgh Steelers QBs, he performed better with Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph than he did with Kenny Pickett.
Seems like it was a Kenny Pickett problem. Johnson is a fantastic route runner, and his ability to consistently win on his routes makes him remarkably difficult to man up.
Diontae Johnson still playing with his gloves at the snap before proceeding to torch the entire defense.
This guy rocks. Shook 39 twice.
Watch him widen his stem to get the defender moving outside. Open doors for yourself. pic.twitter.com/kaMOsgkpVi
— JetPack Galileo (@JetPackGalileo) September 25, 2024
The third is that Johnson is the clear alpha on the team, and with wide receiver Adam Thielen suffering a hamstring injury, there's no reason for Johnson not to dominate targets again. Expect the Red Rifle to fire in Johnson's direction early and often. He had above a 38% target share, which is absurdly good.
Diontae Johnson truthers stand up. He posted a 38.3% target share while flashing his elite separation skills in Week 3 at Raiders pic.twitter.com/2wmIi1pSwG
— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) September 23, 2024
Johnson is an elite NFL receiver with elite usage. He has the makings of a league-winner if he and Dalton stay healthy and Panthers head coach Dave Canales can continue calling a good offense. Consider yourself lucky if you have him on any of your fantasy teams.
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