Fantasy Upside
David Johnson, the Cardinals’s third-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, looked versatile during Arizona’s initial mini-camp. “Very, very bright,” head coach Bruce Arians said. “The kid can do anything as far as a wide receiver, running back, fullback. He will find a niche quickly because he can learn so much.” Arians said that incumbent starter Andre Ellington “will continue his same role” in the backfield, but GM Steve Keim also talked about Johnson as a “three-down back” who will compete for snaps.
Fantasy Downside
The rookie’s 4.50 speed is intriguing, but Johnson has been criticized for his upright running style.
Bottom Line
Whatever the case, he seems like a fit for what Arians does on offense. NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling expects Arizona to employ plenty of three-wideout sets, while using a healthy combination of Ellington and Johnson. And if the newcomer is what the Cardinals think he is, he will lighten Ellington’s load -- perhaps more than Ellington owners would like. That said, Johnson is currently going off the board as RB42. He'll need to establish a fairly significant role in order to justify that price tag.