Sleeper Alert! Chris Johnson

I did on post about a month ago on rookie runnings backs and their fantasy value this season. If you go back and take a look, you can see I have a high opinion of Tennessee Titans back Chris Johnson. If you've watched him at all in the first 2 preseason games, it's obvious why I like him so much. In his debut versus the Rams, Johnson had 6 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown (the touchdown was a 66 yarder by the way). He also added 1 catch for 13 yds. Last night against the Raiders, he carried the ball 8 times for 46 yards and showed great burst. He and Lendale White will make a nice tandem for a Titans team that will run the ball a lot this season.

Fantasy Impact: The Titans running back situation should be looked at a lot like the Saints backs were in 2006. White will get the lion's share of the goal line carries but Chris Johnson will be used a lot. Unlike Bush though, Johnson can run between the tackles effectively and could see the ball inside the 5. Even if he doesn't, Johnson was the fastest player at the combine and he will break a run or two this season. In yardage leagues, Johnson could be seen as a # 3 back. In TD leagues, I take him as my # 4. Lendale White should be looked at somewhere between a # 2 and # 3 back. He will get 8-10 touchdowns, but his yardage will suffer due to the presence of Johnson.