5 best Steelers players to draft in fantasy football in 2020
2. Diontae Johnson
Coming in at number two on my list is the young man, Diontae Johnson. In his rookie season, he led all rookie receivers in receptions, finishing with 59. He was able to produce and make plays in a lackluster offense led by Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges.
With the return of a healthy Ben Roethlisberger, I think Diontae Johnson will have a breakout season. He is somebody that I am very high on for the 2020 season. Coming out of college, his NFL comparison was none other than Antonio Brown, and we know how much Ben loved throwing to him over the years.
He is able to get open against just about every coverage, especially man. His route running ability will help him a lot since he will not have the top opponent cornerback in coverage versus him. He will most likely be lining up against the CB2, while Juju Smith-Schuster will be facing off against the CB1. I would put my money on Diontae Johnson versus a CB2 just about any day.
He is also a big threat after the catch, forcing seventeen missed tackles (tied for first in the league). Whenever the ball is in his hand, his elusiveness and versatility allows him to make any defender miss in the open field. Expect him to catch a lot of short to intermediate passes with the hopes of making plays with his legs. This boosts his fantasy value even higher, especially in PPR leagues.
Another tidbit that boosts his value slightly higher is the possibility of him returning kickoffs and punts for the Steelers in 2020. In college, Diontae Johnson made First Team All-Mac punt returner in 2017 and 2018, along with making Second Team All-Mac kick returner in 2017 and 2018. In his rookie season, he began returning punts about halfway through the season and ended up returning one for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals.
He is currently projected to be the 39th receiver taken off the board, but I would personally take him above a handful of receivers ranked ahead of him. He is projected to be drafted around the beginning of the ninth round, but I am personally going to take him towards the beginning of the eighth round.
I obviously have a biased opinion, but I am so hyped for Diontae Johnson’s upcoming fantasy season. I believe he will put up tremendous numbers and is a player that you must have on your team. If you can get him for cheap, towards the middle of the ninth round, he will be the steal of the draft for sure. Pair him with a couple of other elite PPR receivers and you can guarantee yourself at least 50-60 points a game from that trio alone. I think Diontae Johnson himself is a surefire bet to get you about 12-14 points per game at a minimum.