Now in the desert, Chris Johnson is once again fantasy-relevant
In March of this year, it was reported that ex-Titans and Jets running back Chris Johnson had been wounded in a drive-by shooting in Orlando, Florida, after his attackers opened fire on him and two other men. The shooting capped off – no pun intended – a tumultuous year that began with him leaving the Tennessee outfit that drafted him six years previous, switching the Music City for New York.
In earnest, it never really worked out in the Big Apple for CJ2K. He started off well, and was the lead back in Week 1 of the 2014 season, where he grabbed 68 yards and had a touchdown run in the 19-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders. But a late, fourth quarter Chris Ivory carry in that game, which saw him brake tackles over a 71-yard charge to the endzone, turned some heads, including that of the collective coaching staff.
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Johnson ended up starting the next two games before the reins were finally given to Ivory, and CJ2K only went on to start three more games that season. He was a fantasy nightmare. As one of the bigger pickups of the Jets’ 2014 offseason, Johnson should have been good playing alongside a rookie quarterback and a so-so receiving corps. In fact, all he was able to manage was a 41.4 yards and 0.13 touchdowns-per-game average – neither good nor reliable for any of his fantasy owners.
Gang Green eventually released Johnson in mid-February of 2015, and just a month later the shooting occurred.
Career over?
Far from it.
Fast forward six months, and CJ2K was running rampant on an, albeit depleted, San Francisco 49ers defense. His 150 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns being enough to help the Cardinals to a 3-0 record. How times change.
He is not the same back that ran for 2,000 yards for the Titans back in 2009, but there is juice left in the tank. And he showed that on Sunday evening, hitting holes, running hard, cutting nicely and showcasing his trademark speed. He was a factor in the air as well as on the ground, and still has a nose for the end zone.
It is important to remember that Andre Ellington is out injured, and rookie David Johnson will be getting some carries each week as he acclimates to the NFL. But the only back of the three to have any significant success so far this season is Chris Johnson, and he should be a hot pickup on the waiver wire this week.
Ellington is injury prone, and overblown as far as projections go, and David Johnson is still learning his trade. Chris Johnson is an established back, playing behind an offensive line that opens up plenty of running lanes, and can reach the second and third gear that only some running backs have the ability to hit.
If he’s still a free agent in your league, go and grab him. He could be a savior for fantasy teams suffering at such a shallow position.
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Tom Woods is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Tom, check out his archive and follow him @RealTomWoods.
