Diontae Johnson Not A Trustworthy Option In Week 11
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson has yet to find the amount of success he enjoyed when catching passes from Andy Dalton earlier this season. Head coach John Harbaugh did say that Johnson's involvement would be ramped up, but the Ravens have a tougher matchup in Week 11. They take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Johnson's former team, who are one of the tougher defenses against opposing passing games. Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, and Rashod Bateman have all been big pieces to this offense, so it's still unknown how Johnson fits into the mix. He could be a flex play in very deep leagues, but he's not much of a trustworthy option.
Ravens Expect Diontae Johnson To Ramp Up His Snaps
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he'd expect new wide receiver Diontae Johnson to ramp up his snaps now that he's had enough practices with the team under his belt. Johnson was dealt from the Carolina Panthers to the Ravens before the trade deadline, but he's been a non-factor in his two games with the Ravens, catching just one of two targets for a six-yard gain. He wasn't targeted at all in his debut with Baltimore in the Week 9 win over the Denver Broncos. But now that the former Steeler has had enough practice reps, we should start to see him get more involved in the offense, starting in Week 11 in a big divisional clash against his former team in Pittsburgh. Still, Johnson will be a shaky WR3/flex option for fantasy managers in an offense with plenty of mouths to feed. Johnson's increased involvement is bad news for wideouts Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor.
Diontae Johnson A Risky Flex Play Against Bengals In Week 10
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson played in 30% of the team's offensive snaps during their Week 9 win over the Denver Broncos. Head coach John Harbaugh even said that they planned to ease him into the offense for his first game. Now, with a game under his belt, the Ravens take on the Cincinnati Bengals in a short week. Without the full week of practice, it's unlikely that Johnson has that much bigger of a grasp on the offense, but he's also no stranger to AFC North matchups from his time in Pittsburgh. Zay Flowers remains the number-one option, but Johnson could get some opportunities if it turns into another shootout.
Diontae Johnson Expected To Play 10-15 Snaps In Ravens Debut
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson will likely play 10 to 15 snaps in his first game with the team on Sunday, according to CBS Sports' Tracy Wolfson. Johnson was acquired from the Carolina Panthers earlier this week, and while he isn't fully acclimated to the Ravens' offense yet, it sounds like the Baltimore coaching staff will get him on the field for a percentage of plays in Week 9. Moving forward, he offers Baltimore an experienced weapon that can stretch the field in a supplementary role behind Zay Flowers. Johnson should be benched in fantasy football this week, but he could jump up to the low-end WR3 range by Week 10.
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson just joined the team earlier in the week and was a full participant at practice each day. All signs are pointing to the new Raven suiting up on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, but his workload is a big question mark. Less than a week of practice isn't enough to learn much of the offense, so he may not be featured on many snaps immediately. Fantasy managers will want to wait a week or two and see how the trend of snaps and targets moves as he's more incorporated into the offensive system. So, he's not on the fantasy radar outside of desperate situations in Week 9, especially against a good defense like the Broncos.
New Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson practiced on Wednesday after being acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday. His participation suggests that he could be on track to playing in Week 9 when the Ravens host the Denver Broncos. According to recent reports, Johnson will slot in as the Ravens' No. 3 wide receiver behind Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers. After being traded to the Panthers this past offseason, Johnson now finds himself back on a contender. He has recorded 357 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2024 despite playing with subpar quarterback play. However, Johnson has excelled with quarterback Andy Dalton under center. Now that Johnson enters a situation with several quality weapons, his volume is sure to decrease. For fantasy purposes, the days of a relevant Johnson in 2024 may be behind us, at least in the short term. Johnson's talent may demand the Ravens to ensure he gets touches. However, the team seems to view Johnson as a missing chess piece for a potential Super Bowl run rather than a foundational player. Fantasy managers should monitor Johnson's snap share and targets over the next couple of weeks to determine how this trade will impact his outlook for the rest of the season.
The Baltimore Ravens traded for former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Tuesday, raising questions about the fantasy football outlooks of Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. However, NFL insider Josina Anderson said she was told the acquisition of Johnson "does not reflect a change in the view of Flowers and Bateman as the team's current WR1 and WR2," according to sources. Both Baltimore wideouts are inside the top 20 pass-catchers in total receiving yards this year, and the team remains confident in them. However, it's tough to believe Johnson will not make an impact or take at least some volume away from the young pair of wideouts. In all likelihood, he'll be eased into the offense, but the target pecking order could switch week-to-week later in the year. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is the biggest fantasy football winner in this trade, while Johnson, Flowers, Bateman, Mark Andrews, and Isaiah Likely could all have lower floors in a suddenly crowded pass-catching group.
The Carolina Panthers are trading wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The former Pittsburgh Steeler is heading back to the AFC North. Johnson has been rumored to be on the trade block as Carolina is in the middle of the lost season, and he now joins a Ravens' squad that is firmly in Super Bowl contention. The 28-year-old has hauled in 30 of his 58 targets for 357 yards and three touchdowns this season, though his best games have come with Andy Dalton at the helm. Johnson's fantasy ceiling likely takes a hit in the Baltimore offense that features a run-heavy attack. His presence could also negatively affect Zay Flowers, and it will surely hurt the fantasy outlook of Rashod Bateman. The biggest fantasy football winner here is quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Per Joe Person of The Athletic, it's only a matter of time before the Carolina Panthers trade wide receiver Diontae Johnson (rib). The 28-year-old is the most vied wideout on the market right now, and it appears he'll be shipped off to a contender before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. At this point, his most likely destinations are San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Washington, or "an AFC contender such as Los Angeles (Chargers) or Houston." It's an exciting development, as a move would instantly boost Johnson's fantasy value. With the deadline a week away, expect this situation to escalate quickly. We've already seen a few wideouts change hands over the last few weeks, and with the Panthers reeling at 1-7 -- the long-time Pittsburgh Steeler should be the next on the move. Fantasy managers who have held onto him may be handsomely rewarded in short order.
Diontae Johnson Expected To Be Traded Before Deadline
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson is expected to be traded before the trade deadline according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Schefter reported this on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday afternoon. The veteran wideout was held out of action this past Sunday due to a rib injury. However, he has performed very well at times this season in Carolina. During Weeks 3 through 6, Johnson averaged an impressive 18.3 PPR points after struggling during the opening two weeks of the campaign. Johnson remains an intriguing buy-low candidate for redraft purposes as he will likely join a much more positive fantasy environment during the stretch run of the season. Fantasy managers who currently roster Johnson should continue to hold him on their roster as better days are likely ahead.
Diontae Johnson
• WR
•
Ravens
