Fantasy football: Where to draft Carolina Panthers WR Diontae Johnson

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INTRO (about 60-100 words)

WR Diontae Johnson gets a fresh start in Carolina after 5 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He averaged 78 receptions, 873 yards and 5 touchdowns per season. Johnson gets a chance to be the alpha dog in this receiving core and provide 2nd-year quarterback Bryce Young with a veteran target. Below, we look at Diontae Johnson’s 2024 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

Johnson enters his 6th season with the Panthers at 28 years old and should remain a reliable target in 2024. Now playing under coach Dave Canales — previously the Buccaneers offensive coordinator — Johnson can benefit from Canales’ balanced attack. Though the Panthers are expected to improve, they’re still projected to struggle this season. Despite this, Johnson’s experience and consistency make him a solid option, performing close to his peak value in his prime season.

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Diontae Johnson’s ADP: 85.48

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Johnson’s 85.48 ADP in redraft leagues puts him in the range of the 8th to 11th round depending on the size of the league. His ADP ranks 1st on the Panthers, ahead of RB Chubba Hubbard (113.12) and TE Ja’Tavion Sanders (118.67).

Among all NFL wide receivers, Johnson’s ADP puts him 40th at the position, behind the Green Bay duo of Jayden Reed (85.32) and Christian Watson (81.77) and Kansas City’s rookie Xavier Worthy (80.49). Chicago rookie Rome Odunze (88.33) is 41st, followed by fellow rookies Ladd McConkey (93.32) of the Chargers and Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr. (96.32).

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Diontae Johnson’s 2023-24 stats

Games: 13

Receptions | targets: 51 | 87

Receiving yards: 717

Receiving touchdowns: 5

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Where should you draft Johnson?

Johnson’s last season was a mixed bag, but he still has plenty of upside. Injuries limited him to 13 games, and his targets, receptions and yards have dipped over the past few seasons. But let’s be real — playing with QBs Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph isn’t exactly a recipe for fantasy success.

Despite that, Johnson flashed his potential late last season, scoring 4 touchdowns in the last 6 games and averaging 15.8 yards per catch. He even carried that momentum into the playoffs.

On the plus side, he posted a career-best 14.1 yards per reception last season, making up for his end zone drought the previous year (0 TDs). However, his yardage per game and catch percentage have taken a hit recently.

With WR Adam Thielen getting older and no other standout wideouts on the Panthers, Johnson has a chance to shine. He’s still has that deep-ball ability, and if nothing else, he proved last season that he can be a playmaker.

If you’re looking for a WR with upside, Johnson could be a sneaky good pick in 2024.

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