Kerryon Johnson Fantasy Value Improves With Increased Workload Following C.J. Anderson's Release

It was widely thought that Kerryon Johnson's fantasy value was bound to improve after the Detroit Lions released his backfield-mate, C.J. Anderson, after their Week 2 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. As it turns out, it was not wrong to assume so.

Johnson saw a significant majority of Detroit's backfield work against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, seeing the field on 75 percent of his team's snaps, while totaling 21 touches on the afternoon.

Johnson's workload against Philly is a huge reward for his fantasy owners' patience in the early going, but they should still be slightly cautious going forward.

Despite the high workload, Johnson was unable to take full advantage of his opportunities, totaling just 36 yards on 20 rushing attempts. He did, however, salvage his fantasy day with a rushing score early in the second quarter, finishing the day with 10.8 points in PPR leagues.

In Johnson's defense, the Eagles' stop unit has been one of the league's best against the run this season, allowing just 57 rushing yards per game (No. 2 in the NFL). The sophomore tailback will have a much more favorable matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4, who have been gashed against the run this season (137.7 yards rushing allowed, No. 27 in the NFL.)

As long as he continues to see a workload similar to what he had against the Eagles, Johnson may have high-upside RB2 value heading into Week 4 and beyond.

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Mike Esposito is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Mike Esposito also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username espo6891. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.