Johnson's speedy ascent to Fantasy stardom
By Jamey Eisenberg | Senior Fantasy Writer Follow JameyFollow CBS Fantasy Football
How fast is Chris Johnson? That's what everyone wants to find out.
We all know the Titans second-year running back is a blur with the ball in his hands. When he gets into the open field, he's gone.
We also know that he's probably faster than Dolphins wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. after he reportedly backed out of a race against Johnson over the summer. They agreed to a race during a pool party on Miami Beach, but only Johnson apparently was ready to run.
| | |
| 1. | Chris Johnson, RB, Titans |
| 2. | Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings |
| 3. | Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars |
| 4. | Drew Brees, QB, Saints |
| 5. | Ray Rice, RB, Ravens |
| 6. | Andre Johnson, WR, Texans |
| 7. | Peyton Manning, QB, Colts |
| 8. | Steven Jackson, RB, Rams |
| 9. | Michael Turner, RB, Falcons |
| 10. | Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers |
| 11. | Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals |
| 12. | Tom Brady, QB, Patriots |
| The top three are obvious based on their play in 2009 and what's ahead for them in 2010. I like Rice at No. 4, but I could also see the run on quarterbacks starting at that position with Brees, Manning, Rodgers, Brady, Philip Rivers and Matt Schaub. Quarterbacks are safe, and you see what's going on now with running backs heading into the Fantasy playoffs due to all the injuries. When quarterbacks get hurt they are rarely lost for the season, and they are always going to be the highest-point scorer in every Fantasy league that rewards six points for a touchdown. You can wait on a wide receiver until after the first round unless you're in love with the top two options in Johnson and Fitzgerald, and some other running backs I can see in the Top 12 include Cedric Benson, Rashard Mendenhall, Knowshon Moreno, Frank Gore and DeAngelo Williams. | |
"We were going to race down Ocean Drive," Johnson said in a conference call Wednesday as the Titans get ready to face the Dolphins in Week 15. "I walked down to the street, and he never showed up."
Ginn responded by saying "it's not like I'm denying it or I'm scared of him," but we'll give the edge to Johnson just based on what we've seen on the field. It's not like Ginn is slow, but Johnson is on a different level.
Johnson might be the fastest player in the NFL. He had a time of 4.24 seconds at the NFL Combine, which was better than what Deion Sanders did in 1989 (4.28).
And Johnson is so fast he even wants to challenge Usain Bolt, who is the Olympic champion from Jamaica and known as the world's fastest man. He holds the world record in the 100 and 200 meters.
"I think I would beat him like in the 50," Johnson said.
Johnson has sprinted past the competition as the best Fantasy running back this year. He has 1,626 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns and 42 catches for 391 yards and two touchdowns. He's at 279 Fantasy points in a standard-scoring league, which is better than Adrian Peterson (218), Maurice Jones-Drew (215) and Ray Rice (199) heading into Week 15.
Johnson is trying to become the first running back since Jamal Lewis in 2003 to rush for 2,000 yards, which would make him only the sixth player in NFL history to accomplish that feat. He also has an eye toward Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 rushing yards set in 1984.
Currently, Johnson is on pace for 2,001 yards with three games remaining, and he has eight games in a row with 100-yards rushing or more. He has been a joy for Fantasy owners, especially since he's outperformed his average draft position, which was No. 13 overall and the No. 10 running back.
| | |
| 1. | Chris Johnson, RB, Titans |
| 2. | Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings |
| 3. | Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars |
| 4. | Ray Rice, RB, Ravens |
| 5. | Steven Jackson, RB, Rams |
| 6. | Drew Brees, QB, Saints |
| 7. | Michael Turner, RB, Falcons |
| 8. | DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers |
| 9. | Cedric Benson, RB, Bengals |
| 10. | Thomas Jones, RB, Jets |
| 11. | Frank Gore, RB, 49ers |
| 12. | Jamaal Charles, RB, Chiefs |
| I had a very tough time choosing after Rice at 4. What it came down to for me was strength of schedule (as we know it now) and expected workload (even though we're eight months away). The hardest guy I had to rank was Jones, who is not only a senior running back in the league and the oldest member of this Top 12, but a guy who has been playing for the next big (and likely final) contract this season, which the Jets may or may not pay him. Lots of issues there. I also see 2010 drafts going back to being very RB-heavy at the top -- with so many good quarterbacks and an improved talent pool at receiver, owners won't be lured into trying to snake running backs later on and going with studs at other positions first. Brees is an exception because of the production he has from week to week, but expect running backs to go fast early next year. | |
He definitely surprised us. We thought Johnson would be a good Fantasy option this year but nowhere near this level. LenDale White was expected to remain a part of the backfield rotation and continue to steal goal-line touches, but White has disappeared and made the tandem a solo act.
The Titans, who started 0-6 but have won six of their past seven games, mostly due to Johnson's play, realized he needs the ball in his hands as much as possible.
"He has great vision," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "His speed allows him to use the cutback. Angles are flattened out because of his great speed on the edge. He uses his blocks well. He will hit it inside. I don't think people realize that a guy of his stature can be as productive as an inside runner, but he hits the hole so quick. He does a great job of protecting the football and taking a hit. He just kind of gets ping-ponged around, jumps up with a smile on his face and comes back to the huddle."
Johnson has played so well this year that he heads into 2010 as the projected No. 1 overall pick in all Fantasy leagues on CBSSports.com. We have him ahead of Peterson and Jones-Drew. And in a recent poll on our site, more than 60 percent of users said they would take Johnson at No. 1 with Peterson voted at No. 2 and Jones-Drew at No. 3.
Now, a lot can change before the start of training camp in 2010, but Johnson's talent and ability have allowed him to earn the preseason No. 1 ranking. And then there's his speed.
No one is going to catch Johnson in a race. Not his opponents. Not Ginn. And maybe not Bolt.
"He is amazing," Dolphins linebacker Jason Taylor said. "Little guy can fly. He is probably the most dynamic back in the league right now."
He's also the best running back -- and maybe the best player -- in Fantasy Football.
You can e-mail your Fantasy Football questions to DMFantasyFootball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Chris Johnson in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state and we'll get to as many as we can.
