With injuries devastating the wide receiver position at an unusual rate in 2024, it's no surprise that there's a ton of buzz around the position at the NFL trade deadline. And that has already had a major impact on the fantasy football world. Diontae Johnson was the latest player to be moved, with the Carolina Panthers trading him to the Baltimore Ravens.
Unfortunately for managers who were hoping for a big upgrade from a change in scenery, Johnson's value will be severely limited in Baltimore.
It's hard to judge him too much on what he's done in a terrible Carolina Panthers offense throughout his career, but some things are pretty on-brand from what we've seen throughout his whole career. He's always been reliant on volume to produce in fantasy, with efficiency severely lacking.
Over six NFL seasons, Johnson has averaged just 6.8 yards per target, only even topping the 7.0 mark once since his rookie season. For context, 91 qualifying receivers are averaging more than 6.8 this year.
Johnson's 6.2 put him one spot behind Najee Harris.
That's the opposite of what you want from a Ravens receiver in fantasy, where explosive upside is always going to be an option, but where volume is very hard to come by.
Zay Flowers has finally bucked the trend a bit, sitting tied for 10th in the NFL with 61 targets on the year. But behind him, no Ravens player has seen more than 35 targets. And three of the four players behind Flowers who have at least 25 are running backs or tight ends.
The offense isn't going to significantly change its identity for Johnson, so he steps in to compete with Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor, who have accounted for 15.5% and 9.7% of the team's targets, respectively.
Even if Johnson just completely usurps Bateman's role, how much fantasy upside do we think he offers on 4.4 targets per game?
This trade is a savvy real-football move for the Ravens, who paid almost nothing to add some much-needed receiving depth. And if Flowers gets banged up, maybe Johnson will be able to soak up enough volume to produce.
But for now, this move was a huge disappointment for managers who had hoped for a DeAndre Hopkins-to-the-Chiefs-type bump for Johnson.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Diontae Johnson Fantasy Football Outlook Fizzles With Ravens Trade.
