4 years agoIf anyone who plays in a fantasy football league with me is reading this, please know that you are not going to roster Diontae Johnson. It’s that simple. I will roster him everywhere. I can’t remember the last time a rookie wide receiver who played so well went so unnoticed. Johnson was thrust into the worst possible situation. The Steelers had incumbent WR1 JuJu Smith-Schuster, who wasn’t going anywhere. James Washington had a clear leg up on Johnson and the team signed Donte Moncrief. Johnson was a third-round rookie with very little fanfare that many, including myself, thought was severely overdrafted. He was a long shot to even contribute. Then, as if things couldn’t get worse, Ben Roethlisberger blew out his elbow in the second game of the season. He spent the rest of the season working with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges, who are two of the worst quarterbacks I have ever seen. Johnson saw a catchable target on 72.8% of balls, good for 81st in the league. To put things in perspective, his 59 receptions for 680 yards was mighty impressive. Most impressive, however, was the fact that Johnson led the league in target separation at 2.39 yards. He also dropped just three passes all season. Johnson is an elite technician at the wide receiver position. Big Ben says he’s throwing pain-free for the first time in years. If we don’t have football this year, one of the most upsetting things for me will be missing out on a certain Diontae Johnson breakout. Johnson will come with a WR4 valuation – WR3 at the highest. He’s going to be a top-24 fantasy receiver. Of this I am certain. I expect his ADP to climb into the seventh round by the time drafts roll around. I don't care. He's worth it. And for those of you who draft earlier, reap the benefits of Johnson before the inevitable ADP spike.--Jason Katz