Diontae Johnson Continues To Prove Why He Could Be Top Fantasy Football Option This Season

Is Diontae Johnson not getting the respect he deserves in fantasy football rankings this season?

After bursting onto the scene given an opportunity to be the Steelers top receiver in 2021, the team added George Pickens in the draft. Still, Johnson is showing what he’s capable of in Training Camp and preseason.

In his preseason games, Johnson has showed that he has already built a strong rapport with the new quarterbacks throwing him the ball in wake of Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement.

The @Steelers pass catching group is a matchup nightmare for any defense. 😤@Juiceup__3 | @ChaseClaypool | @pat_fry5 pic.twitter.com/Bpdn8KSoiU

— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2022

This was called back (for holding as a result of the offside) but Kenny Pickett held strong to find Diontae Johnson for six after a smooth two-minute drill. (The Steelers scored for real on the next play.) pic.twitter.com/lPGr9dMbL7

— Seven Rounds in Heaven (@7RoundsInHeaven) August 21, 2022

Diontae Johnson fantasy football outlook

If Diontae Johnson’s preseason snap count is any indication, fantasy football drafters should most definitely be chomping at the bit.

On Saturday, Johnson was lined up as an outside receiver on 24 of his 25 snaps, with Chase Claypool appearing to take over the role of slot receiver heading into next season.

In our Stokastic pre-draft cheat sheet, Johnson is currently slated as the #22 receiver in a regular, PPR fantasy football league. But that number could continue to grow if he can maximize the possibilities that’ll come from catching passes from a quarterback other than an aging Ben Roethlisberger.

After a strong showing in the last preseason game, it sounds like Johnson wants to see rookie first-rounder Kenny Pickett win the QB1 gig.

“Everyone respects him in the huddle, so whenever he comes in the huddle, he takes charge,” Johnson said. “I’ve seen that early in training camp as well. Like I said, everyone’s comfortable with him in there.”

By all indications, it seems like Diontae Johnson will be the top wide receiver option in Pittsburgh. And if he can continue to assert himself ahead of the other receivers on the team’s roster, he could be in for a monster 2022-23 season.

Welcome to the game outside the game! Follow us on our Sideaction Twitter handle, Instagram, and Facebook for the latest on sports and pop culture news across the web!