Diontae Johnson (WR, PIT) - Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups

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OWNED IN: 15% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: Diontae Johnson might not be a league winner, but he is still in a very good position to help you get that coveted championship trophy. Just a couple of weeks ago Devlin Hodges helped Johnson reach 60 yards and score a touchdown in six receptions for 19.6 FP. This past Sunday, though, Johnson finished with a much worse fantasy tally of 11.2 FP. Don’t get it wrong, though, as everything separating both scores was the touchdown. Johnson still racked up 62 yards on five receptions and lacked the score to made up the difference.

With JuJu Smith-Schuster out, the Steelers offense has consisted primarily of Johnson and James Washington, with the former leading the way in snaps played and opportunities. Johnson has been targeted five or more times in his last four games and he seems to have found his best self lately. His last two games (19.6 and 11.2 FP) were the best since those he had in weeks 8 and 10 (19.4 and 10.4 respectively), and he’s getting championship weekend hot for someone of his value and floor/ceiling. The most appealing fact about playing Johnson, other than his production, is his current role in a banged-up attack.

The Steelers face the New York Jets in Week 16, and the Jets have just the 23rd-best defense against receivers this season. That bodes well for Johnson, who didn’t perform bad last Sunday against the fourth-best defense in Buffalo’s and also for QB Devlin Hodges (the Jets rank 19th against QBs), which should help Johnson get to a higher fantasy points tally. Johnson is definitely a volatile player, and you should only play him at a flex or second-flex spot at most given his boom/bust profile and the stakes you’ll be playing in, and only if you’re part of a deep, 14+ team league.