JuwanJohnson

News: 3 days agoJohnson caught four of seven targets for 45 yards during Sunday's 24-15 defeat to the Falcons.

Spin: Johnson logged the Saints' second-most targets behind No. 1 wideout Chris Olave (nine), even though the latter was forced out during the third quarter with a concussion and did not return for the remainder of the game. Wideout Rashid Shaheed also sustained a thigh injury that forced him to exit during the second quarter. With Michael Thomas (knee) on injured reserve, it appears that the 6-foot-3 tight end was the next-best option in New Orleans' pass-catching depth chart. Johnson also recorded season highs in both targets and receiving yards, though he still finished with fewer receiving yards than Olave (114), versatile tight end Taysom Hill (55) and running back Alvin Kamara (50). Should Olave and Shaheed miss time as a result of their injuries, then Johnson's production could benefit moving forward.

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.