David Johnson came on in the final five games of last season with a vengeance, proving he’s one of the best young running backs in the NFL. There’s no reason to believe he’ll slow down this season but his role as the Arizona Cardinals' feature back will be hampered a bit by the wily old veteran, Chris Johnson, who won’t roll over and give his carries, yards and touchdowns away. Combined, David and Chris Johnson will give the Cardinals a one-two punch in the backfield that could carry Arizona all season. David will get his yards -- not as many as projected, though -- but Chris will get his, too.
David Johnson
ESPN Fantasy Projection: 1,126.6 yards, 8.3 TDs
Over or under: While Johnson will have a better season than his 581 yards last year, I don’t think he’ll eclipse 1,000 yards in 2016 -- but he’ll get close. He has a much better understanding of the Cardinals’ playbook and what his role is on his team, and he’s leaner than he was last year, but here’s something to remember: He had a huge final stretch of the season because he was the primary running back with Chris Johnson on the shelf with a broken leg. With Chris Johnson healthy, I think Arizona will utilize more of a thunder-and-lightning approach to their running game with David Johnson being the lead back but his numbers will be offset a bit by Chris Johnson. I can also see David Johnson having a better receiving season than he did a year ago because he’s such a mismatch for any linebacker or defensive back who’ll try to guard him. However, I also think David Johnson’s touchdowns will exceed the projected 8.3 because he’ll be a force in the red zone.
Chris Johnson
ESPN Fantasy Projection: 385.3 yards, 2.3 TDs
Over or under: I’m going over. A projection of 385.3 yards for the season is an average of about 24.1 yards per game. That’s easily doable for Chris Johnson, regardless of his role this season. But throw in a possible 100-yard game once or twice -- maybe three times -- in 2016 and he’ll soar past this projection. If he gets hot, the Cardinals are going to stick with him until he cools down and as we saw last season, when Johnson gets hot, he gets real hot. I also will take the over on the prediction of 2.3 touchdowns. I think he gets in at least five times in 2016.
ESPN Fantasy Projection: 180.5 yards, 1 TD
Over or under: I’m going to take the over on both yards and touchdowns because of Ellington’s home-run capability. He may get one-third of his projected yards on a single carry, and tie his projected touchdowns on that same play. I don’t see him going for more than 200 or 250 at the most because of opportunities, but I can also see Ellington having another 200 yards in receiving this season. But as a running back, Ellington will find a niche developed by coach Bruce Arians, who’s become a mastermind at finding specific roles for players. And Arians loves Ellington’s versatility and quickness.
Who else could see time: The rest of Arizona’s backfield will consist of Stepfan Taylor, who will be a strong third-down or pass-blocking back. He won’t have enough of a role to be considered for any fantasy team. But the running back to look out for if injuries pile up is Kerwynn Williams, who has shown in the past he could be a 100-yard rusher if needed.