JuwanJohnson

News: 20 hours agoJohnson hauled in two of four targets for 12 yards during Sunday's 18-17 defeat to the Packers.

Spin: Johnson logged five or fewer targets for the third game in a row despite the absence of Foster Moreau (ankle). Still, the starting tight end finished with fewer targets than only wideouts Chris Olave (11) and Michael Thomas (nine). He also lost out on the Saints' only red-zone scoring opportunity, as backup tight end Jimmy Graham instead caught an eight-yard touchdown pass on his lone target of the game in the first quarter. Johnson did log three targets after backup quarterback Jameis Winston stepped in for starter Derek Carr, who was forced out in the third quarter and did not return after suffering what's believed to be a right AC sprain, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Johnson's role and usage as TE1 don't figure to fluctuate much if Carr ends up missing time moving forward with this injury.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Johnson returns as the top pass-catching tight end in New Orleans after coming out of nowhere to finish 15th at the position in fantasy points last season. The converted wide receiver made a little noise with four TDs on 21 targets in 2021 before setting career-high marks in targets, receptions and yards last season. Johnson's seven TDs were fourth-most among TEs in 2022. Though the 15th-place finish was solid, Johnson was painfully inconsistent. He finished as a top-8 scorer in five weeks but was held below 8.5 points 10 times. The 26-year-old will have a better QB in Derek Carr this season, but he'll need a boost in volume in order to offset some TD regression (perhaps unlikely with added target competition). Johnson is best viewed as a mid-to-back-end TE2.