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David Johnson's 2015 season taught fantasy owners valuable lessons on the importance of foresight.
Johnson, a rookie drafted in the third round out of Northern Iowa, tallied exactly zero rushing attempts in the Cardinals' season opener, but he did electrify with a 55-yard receiving touchdown on his only offensive touch of the game.
Johnson saw only 35 carries through the Cardinals' next 10 games, as the resurrected Chris Johnson assumed the bulk of Arizona's backfield duties. Then, the artist formerly known as CJ2K suffered a tibia fracture in a week 12 game against San Francisco; during which back-up Andre Ellington also sustained a foot injury.
Suddenly, David Johnson was the starting running back for one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. The rookie thrive in his newfound opportunity, eclipsing 90 rushing yards in consecutive weeks before exploding for 187 yards and three touchdowns at Philadelphia in Week 15. Johnson again found the end zone one week later in the Cardinals' 38-8 thrashing of Green Bay.
Given his advanced age, Chris Johnson will almost certainly be unable to repeat his 2015 level of production. Ellington is seemingly out of favor with Cardinals' brass. Accordingly, David Johnson is set to enter the 2016 season as a presumptive mid-to-late first-round pick in many fantasy leagues.
One interesting comparison is the similarities between Johnson and Jeremy Langford. Langford is now set to take over for Matt Forte in Chicago. If you play in a keeper league, even if it's a standard league, now it a good time to scan rosters up and down the NFL for running backs who play behind impending free agents or injury-prone veterans. Drafting or adding Johnson or Langford would not have had much impact in September of last season, but could have proven ingenious in November, December, and beyond.
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