Steelers fantasy football: Rankings and projections for 2020 season
By Tommy Jaggi
Diontae Johnson
Projected points: 178.85
Overall rank: 96th
Wide receiver rank: 37th
Though Diontae Johnson was terrific in his rookie sesaon with the Pittsburgh Steelers during his rookie season in 2019, it’s important not to get your hopes too high for his potential second-year leap. While Johnson was forced to deal with poor quarterback play from Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges, he led the team with 92 targets last season as JuJu dealt with injuries.
With a limited number of viable pass-catching options last season, Johnson saw an unexpectedly high share of looks as a rookie, but there’s no guarantee he will see more in year two. Though most project him to be Pittsburgh’s number two receiver this year, it may be a little too early to predict a 70-catch, 1,000-yard campaign.
Johnson showed a lot of promise as a rookie, as he ultimately led all receivers in separation per route run. However, the Steelers may try to limit Ben’s passes in an effort to save his elbow, and with several viable options in the receiving game, Johnson may not carve out a big enough cut to be a WR2 for fantasy this year but could be a solid flex play. In dynasty leagues, I would feel more comfortable drafting him, but you may want to go with a more proven option unless Johnson starts slipping in the draft.