Diontae Johnson Fantasy Overview

2024 Summary

Production & Fantasy Finishes

Johnson split the 2024 season between the Panthers and Ravens, totaling just 89.1 PPR fantasy points (WR85) across 11 games.

He averaged 8.1 points per game (WR76), with three top-12 finishes — all coming in his first seven games with Carolina.

After the midseason trade to Baltimore, he never cracked WR50 in any week, disappearing from fantasy relevance entirely.

Johnson’s 84.3 points over the first seven weeks with Carolina put him on pace to finish with 204.7 PPR fantasy points, which would have been good for WR27.

Usage & Role

Johnson drew 67 targets in 11 games (6.1 per game). His 11.5-yard average target depth suggests a shift toward deeper usage compared to his typical short-area volume role in Pittsburgh.

Efficiency Metrics

Johnson's efficiency was lacking in 2024:

• 66.4 PFF receiving grade (59th among WRs with 50+ targets)
• 1.57 yards per route (51st)
• 3.0 yards after catch per reception (65th)
• 6.1% drop rate (37th)

Though off field concerns may have played a part, Johnson’s overall level of play dipped since his days as a Steeler.

Offensive Context

Carolina’s offense was a mess early in 2024, but Johnson still produced with three WR1-level fantasy finishes.

Even with QB Andy Dalton at the helm for most of Johnson’s games as a Panther, HC Dave Canales’ offense utilized Johnson’s sharp route running and slant abilities.

Baltimore was more efficient overall, but Johnson struggled to carve out a role after being traded there.

Historical Production & Trends

Johnson’s 2024 output marked a career-low in every major category.

After five straight seasons with at least 85 targets and 650+ yards in Pittsburgh, he saw a dramatic drop in both volume and efficiency.

While he's still only 28, the sharp decline raises questions about whether he's trending toward irrelevancy.

Injury History

In 2024, Johnson missed Week 8 with a rib injury and played through a mild groin pull early in the year.

In 2023, he missed five games with a hamstring injury.

He has missed at least one regular season game due to injury every year since 2020.

2025 Expectations

Projected Role & Competition

Johnson projects as a rotational piece in Cleveland behind Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman, though he has enough talent to ascend further up the depth chart.

If he can showcase the ability to be an easy checkdown option for a mediocre QB group, Johnson could find a role relatively early in the season.

Of course, this could be similar to the Ravens situation from last year and Johnson may lag behind less talented players like Jamari Thrash and David Bell.

Supporting Cast

The Browns QB situation is among the worst in the NFL.

They traded for QB Kenny Pickett and added QB Joe Flacco, neither boasting a starting QB profile.

Adding third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders doesn’t move the needle either.

The Browns’ OL returns all five starters from a unit that ranked 10th in ESPN’s pass block win rate last year.

Coaching & Offensive Scheme

Cleveland’s offense drastically changed in 2024 under OC Ken Dorsey, jumping from a 56.4% pass rate in 2023 up to a 65.0% pass rate. The Browns ranked top five in pass attempts.

Despite ranking last in points scored, the Browns ranked top-10 in pass volume and neutral pass rate (59.7%).