Panthers' Diontae Johnson: Minimal production in Week 2 loss
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Johnson brought in three of six targets for 15 yards in the Panthers' 26-3 loss to the Chargers on Sunday.
The veteran was once again a victim of circumstance, as Bryce Young threw for only 84 yards on 3.2 yards per attempt. Johnson did draw a team-high amount of targets that also matched his Week 1 total. As expected, Young sees Johnson as a reliable receiver, but the second-year quarterback's inability to get the ball downfield will continue to cap Johnson's fantasy value heading into a Week 3 road matchup against the Raiders.
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Panthers' Diontae Johnson: Quiet debut for Carolina
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Johnson caught two of six targets for 19 yards in Sunday's 47-10 loss to the Saints.
The former Steeler finished second on the Panthers in targets in his debut for the team, but Johnson was rarely on the same page with second-year QB Bryce Young. Johnson saw his numbers decline in his final two years for Pittsburgh due to erratic quarterback play, and it looks like his situation may have gotten even worse with the offseason move to Carolina. The target volume was at least mildly encouraging, and Johnson will try to do more with his looks in Week 2 against the Chargers.
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Panthers' Diontae Johnson: WRs to Sit
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The Saints secondary, which is led by cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo, is tough, and Johnson could struggle in this matchup on the road. New Orleans was No. 8 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers in 2023, and Johnson is only worth starting in three receiver leagues in Week 1, with his value higher in PPR. We'll see how quickly he established a rapport with Bryce Young, and I'm excited about Johnson's outlook for the season. But hopefully you don't need to start him against New Orleans this week.
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Panthers' Diontae Johnson: Healthy for preseason finale
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Johnson caught one of two targets for 17 yards in Saturday's 31-26 preseason win over the Bills.
Johnson missed time during training camp due to a groin injury and illness, so it was nice to see him get into a preseason game and build some rapport with Bryce Young. Johnson's lone catch was an important one, as it helped the Panthers convert on fourth down on an opening drive that ended in a touchdown before Carolina's starters got the rest of the day off. The former Steelers wide receiver is expected to be the top pass catcher on his new team in the regular season, which begins Sept. 8 against the Saints.
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Panthers' Diontae Johnson: Expected to face Bills
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Johnson (illness) is among the Panthers on track to see action in Saturday's preseason finale against the Bills, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
Johnson missed Thursday's practice with an illness, but his name is not listed among the Panthers' players in line to sit Saturday during a contest in which the team's starters are expected to see snaps. As the coming season approaches, Johnson is poised to lead a Carolina WR corps that also includes Adam Thielen, Jonathan Mingo and Xavier Legette.
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Panthers' Diontae Johnson: Comes down with illness
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Johnson missed Thursday's practice with an illness, Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer reports.
It's apparently minor, with David Newton of ESPN.com reporting that coach Dave Canales still hopes to have Johnson play in Saturday's preseason game against Buffalo. The Panthers didn't use many starters in their first two preseason games, resting QB Bryce Young and a slew of other players. Johnson recently missed some practices with a groin strain, but he was back on the field Tuesday and Wednesday after sitting out for less than a week.
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Panthers' Diontae Johnson: Returns to practice
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Johnson (groin) returned to practice Tuesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Johnson was out for less than a week after suffering an apparently minor groin injury. He's otherwise been healthy and practicing since the Panthers traded for him in March, with multiple beat reporters suggesting this summer that Johnson has been QB Bryce Young's favorite target at training camp.
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Panthers' Diontae Johnson: Not suiting up Saturday
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Johnson (groin) isn't slated to play in Saturday's preseason contest against the Jets, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Johnson sat out the last two practices ahead of this contest due to a strained groin, so it's no surprise that he'll remain on the sideline Saturday. He'll be joined by fellow wide receivers Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette, which leaves Jonathan Mingo, Terrace Marshall and Ihmir Smith-Marsette, among others, to get reps at the position. Johnson is ramping up for his first season in Carolina after managing between 717 and 1,161 receiving yards over the last four campaigns.
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Panthers' Diontae Johnson: Not at practice
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Johnson (groin) isn't practicing Thursday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Johnson initially was held out of practice Wednesday, with coach Dave Canales saying the wideout had a "mild groin strain." The Panthers apparently don't expect him to be out for long, but it's probably safe to assume Johnson will miss Saturday's preseason game against the Jets.
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Panthers' Diontae Johnson: Sidelined by groin strain
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Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Johnson missed Wednesday's practice with a "mild groin strain," Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Aside from Wednesday, Johnson hasn't missed any notable practice time since the Panthers traded for him in March, with most reports from training camp noting that the 28-year-old receiver has seen a steady flow of targets from quarterback Bryce Young. Canales downplayed the severity of the groin strain, but it's probably safe to assume Johnson will miss Saturday's preseason game against the Jets.
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Panthers' Diontae Johnson: Dealt to Carolina
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The Steelers are slated to trade Johnson to the Panthers in exchange for Donte Jackson and a pick swap, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Johnson had a relatively disappointing 2023 season as the No. 1 option in Pittsburgh, as he finished with a career-low 51 receptions to go along with 717 yards through the air and five touchdowns. After spending his first five seasons with the Steelers, the 27-year-old will compete with Adam Thielen for the No. 1 pass catching role in Carolina and look to build a rapport with Bryce Young.
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Steelers' Diontae Johnson: Finds end zone in playoff loss
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Johnson secured four of seven targets for 48 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers' 31-17 wild-card loss to the Bills on Monday afternoon.
Johnson put the Steelers' first points of the afternoon on the board in the second quarter with a 10-yard scoring grab, and he finished second in receptions and third in receiving yards and targets for the team in the contest. The fifth-year pro enjoyed a reasonably productive regular season despite the Steelers' unstable quarterback situation, posting a 51-717-5 line across 13 games. Johnson impressively took 10 of those 51 grabs for 20-plus yards as well, but with a cap hit of $15.8 million for next season -- the final year of his current contract -- it remains to be seen if the 2019 third-round pick will return for a sixth season with the team.
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Steelers' Diontae Johnson: Long touchdown catch
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Johnson recorded four receptions on five targets for 89 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 17-10 win over the Ravens.
The Steelers' passing game was limited due to rainy conditions in Baltimore, minimizing targets and particularly downfield opportunity for pass catchers. Johnson accounted for one of the few exceptions to that with a 71-yard catch and run into the end zone on the first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter. He closes the regular season with five touchdowns across 13 games while also averaging a career-best 14.1 yards per catch.
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Steelers' Diontae Johnson: Loses out to Pickens again
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Johnson recorded four catches on four targets for 76 yards in Sunday's 30-23 win over Seattle.
Johnson had improved results in his second game with Mason Rudolph, primarily thanks to a 42-yard reception midway through the third quarter. However, he was outplayed by George Pickens for the second consecutive week and also saw only half the target volume of Pickens. So long as Rudolph is under center, it appears that Johnson will be the second receiver in the offense, though the improved state of the unit will still give him a chance to produce in a Week 18 matchup against the Ravens.
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Steelers' Diontae Johnson: Sleeper WRs
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After not scoring a touchdown at all in 2022, Johnson comes into Week 16 against the Bengals with a touchdown in three games in a row. The last time he failed to score a touchdown was Week 12 at Cincinnati when Johnson had four catches for 50 yards on eight targets, but I'll still trust Johnson as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the rematch, even with Mason Rudolph as the new quarterback in Pittsburgh. Johnson has scored at least 12.5 PPR points in three of his past five games against Cincinnati, and the Bengals have allowed five receivers to score at least 12.8 PPR points in their past three games against Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Minnesota.
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Steelers' Diontae Johnson: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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After not scoring a touchdown at all in 2022, Johnson comes into Week 16 against the Bengals with a touchdown in three games in a row. The last time he failed to score a touchdown was Week 12 at Cincinnati when Johnson had four catches for 50 yards on eight targets, but I'll still trust Johnson as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the rematch, even with Mason Rudolph as the new quarterback in Pittsburgh. Johnson has scored at least 12.5 PPR points in three of his past five games against Cincinnati, and the Bengals have allowed five receivers to score at least 12.8 PPR points in their past three games against Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Minnesota.
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Steelers' Diontae Johnson: Good production in loss
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Johnson recorded four catches on six targets for 62 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 30-13 loss to the Colts.
Johnson got off to a slow start, as he wasn't targeted in the first quarter. He picked things up from there, however, as his first catch of the day went for a four-yard touchdown. Johnson went on to tally long catches of 26 and 18 yards to account for the majority of his remaining production. The Steelers' quarterback situation is quite ambiguous heading into a Week 16 matchup against the Bengals, but Johnson now has a touchdown in three straight games.
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Steelers' Diontae Johnson: Set to face Colts
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Johnson (knee) doesn't carry an injury designation for Saturday's game against the Colts after being listed as a full practice participant Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Johnson was added to the Steelers' Week 15 injury report after sitting out Wednesday's practice, but evidently the wideout's knee issue wasn't a major concern, and he'll be available to catch passes from starting QB Mitch Trubisky this weekend. In Pittsburgh's 21-18 loss to the Patriots (also started by Trubisky) in Week 14, Johnson logged 48 of a possible 70 snaps on offense en route to catching three of his seven targets for a team-high 57 yards and scoring a TD in his second straight contest.
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Steelers' Diontae Johnson: Added to injury report
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Johnson didn't practice Wednesday due to a knee injury, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Johnson wasn't included Tuesday on the team's initial Week 15 injury report, so his absence from Wednesday's practice is notable. What the wideout is able to do Thursday -- if anything -- thus looms large in terms of his chances of facing the Colts on Saturday. If Johnson is sidelined this weekend, Calvin Austin and Miles Boykin would be candidates to see more reps alongside starting wideouts George Pickens and Allen Robinson.
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Steelers' Diontae Johnson: WRs to Sit
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Johnson scored a garbage-time touchdown in Week 13 against Arizona, and that saved his Fantasy production. He finished the game with four catches for 33 yards and the touchdown on five targets, but he's now been at four catches and 50 yards or less in four games in a row. We'll see if Mitch Trubisky starting in place of Kenny Pickett (ankle) helps Johnson, but it's tough to trust any Steelers in the passing game in this matchup. Johnson is only worth starting in three-receiver PPR leagues in Week 14.
