David Johnson, RB, Ari (98 percent started; Yahoo DFS: $33)
Matchup: at Min
Vegas line/total: Min -10.5, 43
There is nothing worse than shelling out hard earned cash for an exorbitant, overdone steak. When you slap the wallet for what’s supposed to be beautifully-trimmed center-cut filet, it better be tender. Johnson is the fantasy equivalent of a charred $40 chunk of beef. On draft day, investors bellied up to the table and spent their prettiest penny to acquire his services. In a transitioning offense, he was expected to be a volume king. All signs pointed to an exhaustive workload, one that many felt would rival Zeke Elliott’s. Then Mike McCoy adorned a headset. Deployed sparingly as a receiver (4.4 targets per game; under 10 percent of routes run) and victimized by negative game scripts, he’s seen dramatic declines in several categories from his mammoth 2016 campaign. Presently, he ranks RB51 in YAC per attempt (2.21), RB47 in tackles avoided per attempt (0.08) and RB57 in yards created per carry (0.30). His inefficiency begs the question: is he Jamaal Williams in disguise? Toss in a stacked front rate of 33.7 percent, Arizona’s fifth-worst run-blocking line, and McCoy’s excruciatingly boring play calling, and it’s a miracle he’s even RB14 in fantasy points per game. This week, matched against a Minnesota defense featuring premier run stuffers Linval Joseph, Anthony Barr and Harrison Smith, Johnson is a borderline play in shallow formats. As a unit, the Vikes have given up 3.97 yards per carry, 135.2 total yards per game, two total touchdowns and the eighth-most fantasy points to RBs. James White(vs. KC), Chris Carson (at Oak) and Carlos Hyde (vs. LAC) outshine him in Week 6.
Fearless Forecast: 14 carries, 61 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 17 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 9.3 fantasy points
