Breaking: Diontae Johnson Not a Top Fantasy Option in…
The Pittsburgh Steelers will play host to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in an AFC North clash of epic proportions.
Amidst the playoff implications will be a bevy of storylines, like the revenge games on both sides of the ledger. While Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen will get a chance to play against a Ravens team that let him walk in free agency, receiver Diontae Johnson will return to Western Pennsylvania for the first time since getting traded in the offseason.
Johnson was traded to the Carolina Panthers in March for cornerback Donte Jackson, but after the Panthers’ season ended early, the veteran receiver found himself on the trading block. In Baltimore, he’ll get the chance to compete for a Super Bowl and beat his former team in the process.
However, Johnson hasn’t played a major role in the Ravens offense. He found just one catch for six yards in his Baltimore debut, a shootout win against the Cincinnati Bengals.
An increased role may not be in the cards. On Friday, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken didn’t sound confident in Johnson making a splash against the Steelers.
“We’re gonna continue to try and find ways to get him on the field, but we haven’t really lost anybody,” Monken said. “We’re doing pretty good with the guys we got.”
That isn’t necessarily an indictment on Johnson’s talent. He was never going to take snaps away from receiver Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman is one of the league’s better separators. In a run-heavy offense with multiple viable tight ends, there simply are not a ton of targets to go around, especially for Johnson, who is less comfortable in the offense and doesn’t stand out with a unique skill set.
