Diontae Johnson came into the season as a favorite target for fantasy managers in the middle round of fantasy football drafts due to his proclivity for generating receptions. After seeing a staggering 147 targets without a touchdown in 2022, Johson was almost a sure thing to bounce back.
Unfortunately, Johnson suffered an injury early on in the 2023 NFL season that placed him on injured reserve. After making his way back into the lineup in Week 7, should fantasy managers feel confident playing him in Week 8?
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Diontae Johnson’s Fantasy Outlook in Week 8
The Pittsburgh Steelers veteran WR made his return to the lineup last week against the Los Angeles Rams and posted a solid top-24 finish for fantasy football. He commanded six targets from Kenny Pickett and reeled in five of them for 79 yards.
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Johnson’s role has been difficult to nail down in this sputtering Matt Cannada offense. His skill set as a quick and shifty route-runner would indicate that he would have better success out of the slot and as an underneath receiver, but he’s being forced into a different role — primarily playing out wide.
Through two games this season, Johnson has played just nine total snaps out of the slot for Pittsburgh, and he’s being heavily targeted deep downfield. It’s a limited sample size, but the veteran WR has 17.1 Air Yards per Reception. This means that he’s not being targeted frequently underneath like one would expect, which will lead to more volatility week in and week out.
For context, Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions is being targeted out of the slot in his offense with 9.6 Air Yards per Reception, which is more the role that Johnson probably should be featured in for the Steelers.
Regardless of the larger conversation of the Steelers’ offensive inefficiencies, Johnson produces when he’s out there on the field and he deserves to be considered for starting lineups. In a matchup this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he’s absolutely worth looking at.
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The Jaguars are currently allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing WRs this season with 30.1 per game. While the run defense has been stronger for Jacksonville this season, opposing passing games are still able to move the ball well against them.
It’s a crowded offense in Pittsburgh, so we shouldn’t expect to see 10+ targets from Johnson. However, another week removed from his injury should have him back up and moving at full speed. Johnson should have plenty of opportunities in this matchup.
Should You Start Johnson in Week 8?
Johnson lands as a low-end WR3 in my fantasy football rankings due to the high floor that he provides. The hindrance from ranking him higher than that is simply the lack of upside.
The last time Johnson found the end zone was Jan. 16, 2022. He’s now gone 20 straight games without reeling in a touchdown, and that makes him a frustrating fantasy asset to plug into your starting lineups week after week.
He has the talent level to be a top-15 WR in fantasy football. However, the state of the offense and his current role makes projecting a touchdown for him very difficult. He’s a high-floor, low-upside start against the Jaguars in Week 8.
