Steve Johnson: Rising NFL Fantasy Football Star

Nov 24, 2010 Elaine Mink

Steve Johnson (a.k.a. "Stevie" or "Stevie Styles"), a third-year wide receiver with the Buffalo Bills and virtual unknown prior to the 2010 NFL season, has averaged nearly one touchdown per game in his first 10 games of the season. Johnson started only seven of those games, but figures to be a fixture in the Bills' starting line-up for the remainder of the season.

Terrell Owens' Departure Opens the Door for Steve Johnson

Johnson scored two touchdowns on 10 receptions in his rookie year, but barely registered a peep in the 2009 season (two receptions, no touchdowns) after the Buffalo Bills signed Terrell Owens to a one-year contract. The Bills decided not to resign T.O. at the conclusion of their dismal 2009 season, opting instead to find out what their young guys had to offer.

Despite that vote of confidence from the Bills' front office, it's doubtful many armchair fantasy football GMs went out on a limb to pick up the stylish former 7th round draft pick, known more for his dreadlocks, rapping skills and winning smile than scoring on the football field.

Steve Johnson's Rising NFL Fantasy Football Value

Johnson's ascent began after the Buffalo Bills switched from quarterback Trent Edwards to Ryan Fitzpatrick in week 3 of the 2010 season (Edwards was cut one week later). That week's game marked the start of a five-game streak where Johnson scored at least one touchdown in each game. After a two-game dry spell in weeks 9 and 10, Johnson answered with a three-touchdown performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in week 11.

After one of his touchdowns in the Bengals game, Johnson lifted his jersey to reveal a t-shirt with the words "Why So Serious?" written in black marker. The playful Johnson took on "the persona of the Joker" in response to the Bengals' so-called Batman and Robin tandem of Terrell Owens (the man Johnson replaced in Buffalo) and Chad Ochocinco.

Johnson may not be serious, but fantasy football GMs should seriously consider starting Johnson in their line-ups. Johnson's yardage ranks 10th in the league, but his more valuable touchdown total is tied for 3rd place. That total is more impressive considering that Johnson has only started seven out of 10 games, while wide receivers Dwayne Bowe and Calvin Johnson (#1 and #2 in touchdowns, respectively) started all 10 of their games.

Steve Johnson's Remaining 2010 NFL Season Opponents

If Johnson wasn't on his opponents' radar prior to his three-touchdown game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he is now. While Johnson modestly attributes his ability to get open to his low profile as a little-known receiver, Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick points to Johnson's rare elusiveness as the secret to his success.

Look for Johnson to continue to improve as he develops his game with Fitzpatrick. Defenses will up their pressure on Johnson, but they won't be able to smother him while also containing speedster #1 Bills WR Lee Evans. The Bills' remaining 2010 season opponents are not strong on pass defense (see below), with the exception of the Miami Dolphins, so Johnson should be able to build his confidence through the second half of the 2010 season.

NFL pass defense rankings through week 11:

Steelers = #22

Vikings = #15

Browns = #23

Dolphins = #5

Patriots = #31

Jets = #16

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  Steve Johnson's Fantasy value is no - Photo by filthysize of flickr

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The Mennella Line: Where we care about your fantasy team

Ever since Al Gore invented the internet, folks have used it as a medium through which they could lodge complaints. And, with Web 2.0 tools growing increasingly popular seemingly by the day, there’s no shortage of forums in which people can bitch.

Here’s one I’d like to discuss: Twitter and anti-fantasy football rants. They crop up fairly often in my feed, mostly because the great majority of the users I follow are sports pundits, fantasy experts among them. Basically, the gripe is, “Hey, Bill Barnwell, stick to giving us stats and analysis. We don’t care about your fantasy team.”

Well, this just stinks. I think it’s very much against the spirit of fantasy sports. It’s supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be light-hearted. It’s supposed to be communal. We fantasy junkies are pitted against mainstream society enough as it is — we don’t need to be ripping each other.

Frankly, I find it quite interesting to hear people celebrate wins and bemoan losses. Matthew Berry, espn.com’s lead fantasy columnist, publishes a handful of these each week, and I rather enjoy them. If you, like I, had Robert Meachem on your bench during his two-touchdown performance on Sunday, sitting him in favor of the, say, the worthless Mario Manningham, I want to hear about it. Let’s commiserate.

Let’s have fun.

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