Kaleb Johnson Fantasy Stats

Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson played a minimal role in his team's 35-14 Week 3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, recording four carries for six yards and one reception for 10 yards on three targets. With Packers RB1 Josh Jacobs currently on the NFL's Commissioner's Exempt List, Johnson has been given a chance to establish himself in the Green Bay backfield. The 23-year-old has failed to seize the opportunity so far, recording 12 carries for 38 yards across three games. Johnson split carries evenly with fellow Packers back MarShawn Lloyd against Atlanta, and neither rusher was even remotely effective. Green Bay is battling injuries along its offensive line and has been completely unable to run the ball so far in 2026. Despite being one of just two teams to have already played three games, the Packers rank 30th in the NFL in total rushing yards (146). Until Green Bay shows some signs of life on the ground, fantasy managers may want to avoid Johnson and the rest of the Packers' backs.

According to James Palmer, Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson is set to see more opportunities on Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons. Palmer noted that the second-year back needed time to adjust to the scheme, but he appears primed for a bigger workload tonight. In Week 1, the former Iowa standout did not log a single carry but began to carve out a more prominent role in Week 2. In their victory over the New York Jets, Johnson took eight carries for 32 yards, which ended up leading the team. Even though MarShawn Lloyd would find the back of the end zone through the air, Johnson's usage was promising. Managers should watch his usage closely on Thursday night, as he appears to be slowly emerging as the leader of this committee. Given the potential to see a large role, he carries viable flex upside in deeper 12-plus-team half-PPR formats on Thursday night.

Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson drew praise from quarterback Jordan Love after getting his first offensive work with the team in Sunday's overtime win over the Jets. Love said Johnson has done some good things when he's had space, according to Ryan Wood. Johnson led Green Bay with eight carries for 32 yards after playing no offensive snaps in Week 1. He also helped start the game-winning overtime drive with runs of 11 and three yards on the first two plays. Johnson did put the ball on the ground once, though Green Bay recovered it. The Packers are still rotating Johnson, MarShawn Lloyd, and Chris Brooks, so his role remains unsettled despite the encouraging showing.

Green Bay Packers second-year running back Kaleb Johnson did not see a single offensive snap in the team's Week 1 loss to the division-rival Minnesota Vikings after the Packers acquired him in a training camp deal from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Johnson played only 27% of the offensive snaps in the Week 2 win over the New York Jets, but he saw a team-high eight carries for 32 yards (4.0 yards per carry), signaling that he could start becoming a much bigger part of the Packers' committee backfield with starter Josh Jacobs still on the commissioner's exempt list. The 23-year-old Johnson was not involved in the passing game, while MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks combined for three catches for 21 yards and a touchdown (Lloyd). Johnson has familiarity with Green Bay's offense from playing in a similar scheme in college at Iowa, so he could slowly become more of a trusted early-down back for head coach Matt LaFleur for as long as Jacobs remains out. Fantasy managers searching for RB depth will want to give Johnson a look in deeper leagues. He is rostered in just 4% of Yahoo leagues.

Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson could get his first offensive work of the season Sunday against the New York Jets. Johnson was active in Week 1 but did not play an offensive snap, while MarShawn Lloyd handled 13 carries for 37 yards and Chris Brooks added seven carries for 29. Head coach Matt LaFleur said this week that Johnson is expected to be in for some plays, which at least puts him in the backfield mix after watching from the sideline in the opener. How much work that turns into is still unclear. Johnson remains listed third on Green Bay's unofficial depth chart behind Lloyd and Brooks, and both backs were involved last week. For fantasy managers, that makes Johnson more of a player to monitor than someone to trust right away. The coaching staff appears ready to give him a look, but there is not enough evidence yet to know whether those snaps will turn into meaningful touches.

Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson remains off the fantasy radar despite a trade late in the preseason. Johnson was on the roster bubble with the Steelers, who ultimately dealt him to the Packers after Josh Jacobs was placed on the commissioner's exempt list. There was some speculation that the former third-round pick could lead the way in Green Bay's backfield. In reality, he operated as the No. 3 running back in Week 1 due to his lack of familiarity with the Packers' system and his underwhelming track record in the NFL. MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks were extremely disappointing in the season opener, while Johnson didn't log a single offensive snap. We don't expect to see a major depth chart shakeup this week, which means that Johnson will remain buried in the third-string role with minimal volume headed his way. He can be dropped in most fantasy leagues.

Running back Kaleb Johnson will make his debut with the Green Bay Packers in a Week 1 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings to begin the 2026 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers traded Johnson to the Packers in late August. With running back Josh Jacobs on the Commissioner's Exempt List, the Packers will rely on a committee of MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks, and Johnson in the backfield. How exactly that rotation works out is anybody's guess right now, but Lloyd is currently listed as the starter. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur recently said that Johnson could certainly play a role right away for Green Bay. The Vikings allowed 124.1 rushing yards per game in 2025. Johnson enters the matchup with the Vikings as the No. 68 running back for Week 1, according to RotoBaller. It is probably best to leave Johnson, who is rostered in just 9% of Yahoo leagues, on the bench or waiver wire for Week 1 and monitor how things progress.

Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson, who was acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers during training camp to help with RB depth in light of the Josh Jacobs (personal) situation, could be a factor immediately in the Week 1 season opener this Sunday versus the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, according to Weston Hodkiewicz of the team's official website. "Yes. He's done a nice job. It does help there was some carryover not only from when he was at Iowa with Tim Lester but also having Arthur Smith in Pittsburgh," head coach Matt LaFleur said when asked if Johnson could help this weekend. The 23-year-old from Iowa had a forgettable rookie year in the Steel City in 2025, carrying the ball only 28 times for 69 yards in 10 regular-season games. Now in Green Bay, Johnson has some interesting short-term fantasy value in deeper leagues with Jacobs out for Week 1 and potentially facing an early-season suspension. MarShawn Lloyd is expected to see most of the backfield work out of the gate, but he has only played in one NFL game due to injuries. We are not recommending Johnson as a starting fantasy option in Week 1, but he is worth a waiver-wire flier if you have Jacobs rostered and are looking for more RB depth. Johnson is rostered in 10% of Yahoo leagues.

Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson is worth keeping an eye on while Josh Jacobs remains unavailable. The Packers traded a 2028 sixth-round pick for Johnson on Aug. 30 after his quiet rookie season in Pittsburgh, where he managed only 69 yards on 28 carries. The opportunity in Green Bay is better. MarShawn Lloyd should get the first crack at leading the backfield, but Johnson has already worked alongside him with the first-team offense, while Chris Brooks is better suited for passing-down work. Johnson also has some familiarity with Matt LaFleur's system after playing in a similar offense during his final season at Iowa. None of that makes him a Week 1 starter, and RotoBaller currently has him at RB70 for the opener against Minnesota. The waiver outlook is more interesting than the immediate lineup value. RotoBaller recommends Johnson in leagues with 14 or more teams, which fits where things stand. He's a speculative stash with a path to more work if this backfield stays unsettled.

Iowa Hawkeyes offensive coordinator Tim Lester spent the 2023 season with the Green Bay Packers as an analyst and was named offensive coordinator at Iowa in 2024, where he inherited new Packers running back Kaleb Johnson and brought along head coach Matt LaFleur's offense, according to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated. "He should have unbelievable familiarity with the system, that's for sure, because that's exactly what we ran his senior year of college, which is good," Lester said. "And so I've been excited for him to get his shot and kind of get settled. The NFL normally takes a little bit of time to get adjusted, but definitely a talented kid." It should help Johnson, a third-rounder by the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, get up to speed much faster after recently being acquired in a trade from Pittsburgh to help the Packers with RB depth now that Josh Jacobs will not be with the team to begin the 2026 season. Johnson had 1,537 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns at Iowa in 2024, with 4.4 yards on average coming after contact. The 23-year-old excels at breaking tackles, although he only had 28 carries for 69 yards (2.5 yards per carry) in 10 games with the Steelers as a rookie. Johnson's rookie season was forgettable, but he could quickly turn things around in Green Bay in an offense he is much more familiar with. MarShawn Lloyd is expected to get the first crack at RB1 duties with Jacobs out, but Johnson should not be ignored as a late-round handcuff with rising value because of Jacobs' status.