Duke Johnson

After trading away a third-round pick for Johnson, most assumed he'd be the leader in this timeshare, but after two weeks, it's a lot different than most imagined. Johnson has played 66 snaps and totaled 19 touches (15 carries, four receptions) while Hyde has played 62 snaps and totaled 31 touches (30 carries, one reception). While most want that to change, it won't if Hyde continues to average a robust 5.8 yards per carry behind a makeshift offensive line. Johnson is going to have more value in games they fall behind, which oddsmakers expect this week. The Chargers struggled against running backs last year (allowed seventh-most points to them) but particularly in the passing game, as they allowed the second-most PPR points through the air to running backs. They allowed an average of 14.7 PPR points per game through the air alone. Think about that for a second. That amounts to five catches for 67 yards and 0.5 touchdowns per game, on average. While the Colts didn't exploit that in Week 1 (they didn't really need to while rushing for 187 yards), the Lions running backs totaled four catches for 53 yards and a touchdown through the air last week. The timeshare all comes down to gamescript and this one should be a bit different than last week. Johnson is the safer play who's somewhat gamescript-proof, so consider him a decent RB3, especially in PPR formats.

Duke Johnson catches two passes out of the backfield

Duke Johnson rushed two times for two yards in the Texans' Week 3 win over the Chargers, adding two receptions for 22 additional yards.

Fantasy Impact

Johnson has been struggling to see the ball as Carlos Hyde has taken over the #1 RB spot and is getting the bulk of the workload. But the Texans may look to Johnson more in the passing game and the running back may be worth an add in PPR leagues.