Cardinals running back David Johnson took the league by storm in his rookie season in Arizona, finishing the year with 581 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. The Cardinals running back was a dual threat out of the backfield in rookie season, as he also recorded 36 receptions for 457 yards and scored four touchdowns.
The Cardinals are expecting big things from the Northern Iowa product in his second season, but he remains a big question for fantasy football owners heading into fantasy drafts later this Summer.
"David has earned the right now to be the bell cow," Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said. "Everybody's got to take it from him. But Chris ran for 800 (yards) and probably would have had 1,200 had he stayed healthy. Andre (Ellington) can break the game open."
The Cardinals were able to retain running back Chris Johnson for less money, who missed the final five games of the regular season and the playoffs with a fractured tibia. The former first round pick found his form again in Arizona after a disappointing season with the New York Jets, but he will have to work his way back into the starting lineup following Johnson's emergence last season.
Johnson should be considered a top fantasy running back prospect, but fantasy owners shouldn't reach too high on him, as he could be battling for carries as it gets later in the season. The Cardinals will also have running back Andre Ellington returning healthy next season, which should only concern fantasy owners when they think of drafting Johnson early.
"It's fun to have those guys back together," Arians said. "Andre's healthy. It'll be a great competition in our backfield this year." While Johnson should see a bulk of the carries early next season, he shouldn't be considered a first round fantasy prospect in 10-12 team leagues.
Johnson could be due for a big year in 2016, but fantasy owners should try to handicap him with either Johnson or Ellington, as it's unknown what could happen midseason. The Cardinals young running back could be a target prospect in the second round of fantasy drafts, but he should be paired with another confident number one back, as there is no guarantee that he holds the starting position throughout the year.
One huge plus that the Cardinals running back could provide is his ability to catch passes out of the backfield, as that could be a huge bonus in point per reception leagues. Johnson should still be at the top of draft boards despite competition, and even though there may be some concerns about potentially splitting carries, fantasy owners shouldn't let him get past the third round.
