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Two player profiles, Two Cardinals players…..I swear I am not a Cardinals fan.

David Johnson has touched the ball 7 times and has 3 touchdowns. (Rushing 5/42/1, Receiving 2/58/1 and one electrifying Kick Return to start week 2). Obviously, the trend cannot/should not continue, but if he starts seeing 10-15 touches a game, he can be a viable weekly fantasy starter.

History

David Johnson played college ball at Northern Iowa University. You know who else went to Northern Iowa? Super Bowl XXXIV MVP, Kurt Warner….foreshadowing? David holds school records for career rushing yards, career rushing TD’s, and career all purpose yards. Johnson was selected first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference in both 2013 and 2014 and became first player in school history with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He had 17 TD’s and boasted a 5.4 YPC through his senior year while never missing a game.

At the combine, Johnson ran a 4.50-40, faster then Melvin Gordon, Ameer Abdullah, and Matt Jones. He was drafted in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals. A lot of experts saw this pick coming as he is a powerful back that was meant to compliment Ellington well. Also worth noting that Mike Mayock said “He catches the ball like Le’Veon Bell."

Outlook

Bruce Arians is a stubborn SOB and does not like to “thrust rookies into prominent roles”. The facts are CJ?K is not the answer and when the Cardinals are faced with tougher matchups than the JV Bears and the struggling Saints. Arians is going to do what it takes for his team to win. Johnson will continue to see the field more and more each week and if he continues to make the most out of the touches, there is no way Arians does not feed him the ball down the stretch.

Considering Ellington is expected to return week 4, it will be interesting to see how they utilize the backs. Looking at Ellington’s injury history, it would not surprise me to see David Johnson take over lead back duties sooner then later. Ellington is an elusive back and Johnson is better suited to carry the load week in and week out. If for some reason Johnson is available in your league GRAB HIM NOW! He could prove to be valuable down the stretch and dare I say in the fantasy playoffs.

Bold Prediction

Season long stats:

Rushing: 795/7

Receiving: 42/538/5

John Brown, a man of action -- a man who would not be deterred from his mission of abolishing slavery. Crap, wrong John Brown.  But like the former John Brown, John Brown is a man of action and is also on a mission. Brown is an interesting target and has been climbing up draft boards over the last month. His ADP has gone from the 10th round, to the 7th. Heck, I have seen him go as early as the 5th!

History:

Brown is from the college football powerhouse of Pittsburgh State. Fine, maybe not a powerhouse college but he is the all time leader of the Gorillas in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. I will not even begin to get into the countless awards and the recognition he gained for his work on Special Teams. John Brown was drafted by the Cardinals in 2014 in the third round (91st overall) and had a 48/696/5 stat line last year.

 
In the off-season, Brown actually lived and worked out with Carson Palmer. They worked on getting their timing down and getting on the same page. This is nice to hear and see. Both players are committed to getting better in 2015 and Brown can learn a lot from a veteran like Palmer. It was also reported that Brown put on 10lbs in an effort to shed press coverage.

Outlook:

With a year under his belt and having adjusted more to the NFL's level of play, the Cardinals are going to find more ways to get the ball into Brown’s hands. Last season he only rushed 3 times for -6 yards. There will be more reverses and quick screens to get the ball to the speedster. With Fitzgerald drawing attention from defenses and Floyd missing fingers, watch out for Brown. If Palmer stays healthy, all signs point to him having a great season.

Bold Prediction Stat Line: 85/1050/9