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Fantasy Football: Chasing the Late Round Value of Stevie Johnson

By Bruce Matson

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Sep 28, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Stevie Johnson (13) celebrates after a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter at Levi

Stevie Johnson has been a forgotten man. It’s been since 2012 since he caught 79 receptions for 1,046 and six touchdowns. You may not remember this, but he managed to produce three seasons in a row with 1,000 or more receiving yards. During that time he was a solid WR2 in fantasy. I had him during that time span and it was great. I rolled him out as my flex, and crushed my opponents.

The 2013 season was an abomination for Stevie. He was “enjoying’ a cocktail of quarterbacks that included EJ Manuel, Thaddeus Lewis, and Jeff Tuel. His efficiency suffered and he only recorded 597 yards and three touchdowns.

Things didn’t get much better last season. He was traded to the San Francisco 49ers where he battled Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin for targets. He caught 435 yards and three touchdowns. Things looked dismal for Johnson. He hurt his knee during week 14 and missed the final three games of the season.

Johnson hit free agency and signed with the San Diego Chargers. It was like the clouds opened up and God was shining down on him. This will be the first time he will have a legit quarterback. Philip Rivers will be the best quarterback he has ever played with. Johnson’s efficiency should increase and he should become fantasy relevant again. He’s going to be playing on the opposite side of Keenan Allen. Johnson should be facing favorable match-ups in coverage because defenses will be game-planning to stop Allen.

He currently has an ADP of 104, which has him going in the ninth round of fantasy drafts. That is a value. Johnson is going to be a WR2 in this offense. There’s a good chance he’s going to see a resurgence in his new offense. There’s a lot of volume to go around in this offense. Rivers had 579 pass attempts last season and I expect that to be similar this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnson produced around 1,000 yards and three to five touchdowns.

Johnson could serve as a solid flex or a bye week fill in for your fantasy team. He’s going to be a great receiver to play match-ups with and stream.

Players I would take him over:

  • Markus Wheaton
  • Devin Funchess
  • Roddy White
  • DeVante Parker
  • Michael Crabtree
  • Ty Montgomery
  • Reggie Wayne

Johnson still has some juice left, and I suggest taking a look at him during your fantasy draft. There’s a good chance he could be the comeback player of the year for fantasy.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @bmatz08 for 24/7 free fantasy advice.

Next: 5 Landmine Players to Avoid

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