Duke Johnson RB Dolphins (1 Viewer)

[az_prof]

Athletic QB's tend not to dump it off. That being said I was expecting a lot more from Duke. I thought this offense was going to be much more explosive. It's still early and I think Duke will become more fantasy relevant at some point. Hyde always starts off hot and then tanks. I they there will be better game scripts ahead as well. 

I'm holding for now too for this reason.

 

[zoonation]

Hot garbage. 

 

[scott46984]

Was hopeful this was a great situation for Duke with big upside when I drafted...........swing and a miss I guess.  Will probably hold for a couple more weeks just in case otherwise planning to drop and shop the wire for more opportunity.  At this point not even sure a Hyde injury would lead to reliable production for Duke if Texans game plan isn't going to include passes to RB.

 

[Biabreakable]

The flaw was thinking that HOU would start passing to the back more now that they have a very good receiving back. This is a downfield passing team and they just don't look to the back much.  

This is how it looks to me now in hindsight.

I never looked at how much the Texans and Watson have been throwing to their RB.

Last year with Watson healthy all 16 games all RB combined for 67 targets or 4.1 per game.

Duke Johnson does have 9 targets over the first 3 games.

 

[rascal]

Thought i was smart drafting him two rounds after the Lamar was drafted (got injured during draft).  Nope.

 

[Capella]

The flaw was thinking that HOU would start passing to the back more now that they have a very good receiving back. This is a downfield passing team and they just don't look to the back much.  

If it was a flaw to think that a team giving up a third round freaking pick for a guy would actually use him, then guilty as charged 

 

[TheWinz]

Through 3 games, Watson has been sacked 12 times.  He has targeted his RB's 10 times.  I am gonna start putting more of the blame on Watson instead of his OL.  I was sure the Duke signing would lower his sacks, but he simply holds the ball too long.

 

[az_prof]

Through 3 games, Watson has been sacked 12 times.  He has targeted his RB's 10 times.  I am gonna start putting more of the blame on Watson instead of his OL.  I was sure the Duke signing would lower his sacks, but he simply holds the ball too long.

I think so too. He is looking for the home run instead of checking down and holds too long and then is sacked.

 

[hamsterdam]

This is his last week for me. If he doesn't show anything, dropping him for Pettis or Dionte Johnson. Currently has 0 targets while Hyde has 2...

Edit: 40 yard run just now.

 

[E-Z Glider]

Free Duke Johnson. Outplays Hyde every week, but doesnt get more touches. 

 

[Interseptopus]

biggest failure relative to hype of the season so far? 

 

[SCT]

biggest failure relative to hype of the season so far? 

Well....if you're talking pre-Hyde trade then yes.  In fact, I traded him zealously straight up for Ekeler that week ("He'll be a three down workhorse like in Miami" and "Justin Jackson is the guy you want").  But if you're talking post-Hyde trade, I'd say the title goes to OJ Howard.  He' a serious bust.  And was likely drafted ahead of Duke.

 

[Interseptopus]

Well....if you're talking pre-Hyde trade then yes.  In fact, I traded him zealously straight up for Ekeler that week ("He'll be a three down workhorse like in Miami" and "Justin Jackson is the guy you want").  But if you're talking post-Hyde trade, I'd say the title goes to OJ Howard.  He' a serious bust.  And was likely drafted ahead of Duke.

the signs were there for OJH... Arians has never used a TE. Post Hyde trade the Duke owners were saying how it was so great HOU went and got JAG like Hyde...

 

[az_prof]

the signs were there for OJH... Arians has never used a TE. Post Hyde trade the Duke owners were saying how it was so great HOU went and got JAG like Hyde...

True. But it isn't like Hyde has played great.  It is a horrible time share and neither have been very valuable.  The problem is that HOU isn't a team that gives a lot of touches and targets to the RB position so splitting it is killer.

 

[Bracie Smathers]

I've always been puzzled why teams don't use this guy but their has to be some reason because they just don''t use him.  

  video of Duke Johnson in action

Ian Hartitz‏ @Ihartitze

Duke Johnson ...

• -No. 1 in yards after contact
  
• -No. 1 in PFF's Elusive Rating metric
  
• -No. 2 in yards per touch
  
• -No. 3 in yards per carry
  

... doesn't have more than 10 touches in a game since Week 1

11:08 AM - 8 Oct 2019

 

[tombonneau]

  video of Duke Johnson in action

Ian Hartitz‏ @Ihartitze

Duke Johnson ...

• -No. 1 in yards after contact
  
• -No. 1 in PFF's Elusive Rating metric
  
• -No. 2 in yards per touch
  
• -No. 3 in yards per carry
  

... doesn't have more than 10 touches in a game since Week 1

11:08 AM - 8 Oct 2019

Holy crap. That video just makes me more pissed. How is this dude not getting 10-15 touches a game minimum? Good lord. And this isn't like 3&18 cheap draw plays where anyone can shoot straight through the line for an easy 10, he is making these yards all on his own. Insane.

 

[Bracie Smathers]

Baffling.

------------

Aaron Reiss‏Verified account @aaronjreiss

Among running backs with at least 40 offensive touches, #Texans RB Duke Johnson ranks second in yards per touch (7.1).

He’s also the only RB in the top 15 of that group to not average at least nine touches per game.

 

[tombonneau]

Baffling.

------------

Aaron Reiss‏Verified account @aaronjreiss

Among running backs with at least 40 offensive touches, #Texans RB Duke Johnson ranks second in yards per touch (7.1).

He’s also the only RB in the top 15 of that group to not average at least nine touches per game.

 

[TLEF316]

In most cases, the cream rises to the top.

But this cream has bill O'Brien making the decisions, so who the hell knows.

 

[Bracie Smathers]

In most cases, the cream rises to the top.

But this cream has bill O'Brien making the decisions, so who the hell knows.

Kyle Shanahan started Crow over Duke.

Hue Jackson started Crow over Duke but he used him a lot in the 3rd down RB role.

Todd Haley started Carlos Hyde over Duke but  barely used him.

Kitchens started Nick Chubb over Duke but barely used him.

Its not just Bill O'Brien.

For some unknown reason coaches (outside of the worst HC in NFL history) don't use him and we don't know why.

 

[rockaction]

One of those (Chubb) is not like the others.

And Duke finds himself behind Hyde again. Hyde, despite all protestations to the contrary, is not terrible. 

 

[Tanner9919]

Hyde is averaging about 10 fantasy ppg, not bad at all, he's also receiving a ton of volume , he should be in line for 20-25 carries vs. KC as the new blueprint takes form: run the ball vs. KC, keep that offense off the field. 

I wouldnt be shocked to see Hyde pull down 30 carries in this game. 

 

[TheWinz]

To date, Hyde and Duke are near 50% in snap count (173 for Hyde, 166 for Duke).  Hyde has a commanding 66% touch rate over Duke's 34%.  Hyde is averaging 4.1 yards per touch, while Duke has 7.1.  HOU RB's have a combined 14 catches, which ranks dead last in the NFL.  Watson has been sacked 18 times, with a sack % of 10.2.  There are only 3 other QB's with a higher sack % - Falk, Mariota, and Rosen.  Not very good company for Watson to have.

As for the rushing split (70/30 in Hyde's favor), I kind of expected closer to 60/40.  It's the catches that have me bewildered.  How can Watson have 18 sacks and Duke only have 9 catches?  If Watson dumped off 6 of those sacks to Duke, we'd be looking at Duke as RB30 instead of RB40, even with no TD's.  I don't necessarily blame the coaching staff as much as I blame Watson's decision making.

As another said in here, the cream rises to the top, and I am still holding onto the hope that Duke will be a RB3 by season's end.

 

[The Frankman]

Duke Johnson rushed five times for 34 yards, tacking on 2/20/1 on four targets out of the backfield in Houston's Week 6 win over the Chiefs.

Johnson's five carries and four targets may seem encouraging, but note that he wasn't involved until the Texans trailed 17-3 in the first quarter. He also fell just short of a second touchdown catch, watching Carlos Hyde (26/116/1) punch it in from two-yards out on the ensuing play. The most common mistake fantasy players can make is acting on what should happen rather than what's actually happening and it's clear coach Bill O'Brien has no intention of using Johnson unless the team finds themselves trailing by multiple scores. He'll be a cross-your-fingers RB4/5 against the Colts in Week 7.

 

[rockaction]

And the problem with relying on fantasy scribes is that they think volume is so much the king that they forget that guys earn touches sometimes.

 

[Truebluey]

Nice game today. I admit it took a bit of a leap of faith to start him in all my leagues, but today at least it paid off.

 

[Faust]

Duke Johnson rushed seven times for 13 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 68 yards in Week 9 against the Jaguars.

Johnson led the Texans in receiving in a game Houston led throughout. He vultured a goal-line TD late in the third quarter, giving him touchdowns in consecutive weeks. This was an encouraging game for Johnson, but he's still averaging under six carries per game. Johnson won't be more than a low-volume FLEX when the Texans come out of their Week 10 bye.

Nov 3, 2019, 1:27 PM ET

 

[Down Under]

Interestingly, Johnson seems to have shot up in the "rest of the year" rankings....I can't really figure out why.  There's no breaking news of Hyde, is there?

 

[Loipz]

Interestingly, Johnson seems to have shot up in the "rest of the year" rankings....I can't really figure out why.  There's no breaking news of Hyde, is there?

Game script would be my guess. Feels a lot like a duke game upcoming. Ravens offense looks great out there so maybe they’re projecting a lot more passing. I certainly feel that way and am likely benching Hyde. 

 

[King of the Jungle]

Hanging onto him as a lotto ticket right now. One of the more talented backups and if Hyde misses time I think he becomes an instant top 10 RB.

 

[Faust]

Duke Johnson rushed five times for 22 yards in the Texans' Week 12 win over the Colts, adding an eight-yard reception.

19 of Johnson's yards came on one tote. The Texans' expensive change-of-pace back has still yet to reach 10 carries in a game and has had only one five-catch effort. Johnson has been where upside goes to die in 2019. It's a shame for a player who still seems like he could make more noise if given bigger workloads. Especially with all 32 teams in action for Week 13, Johnson will be an uninspiring FLEX.

Nov 22, 2019, 12:00 AM ET

 

[starks]

I had multiple first round offers in August for this guy. 

 

[steelwind]

Drop.  Watson's tendency is to scramble to throw downfield or run it himself.  He hardly checks down to Duke.

 

[Bracie Smathers]

I had multiple first round offers in August for this guy. 

    That one has to hurt.

 

[Biabreakable]

I had multiple first round offers in August for this guy. 

I guess your an even bigger fan of Duke than I am, or the guys making such rich offers for him.

He is a good player but I would have taken that.

Not that I agree with how Duke Johnson has been used in the NFL but at least I recognise it.

That window has closed. Its 2 teams now who do not use him enough.

 

[starks]

I guess your an even bigger fan of Duke than I am, or the guys making such rich offers for him.

He is a good player but I would have taken that.

Not that I agree with how Duke Johnson has been used in the NFL but at least I recognise it.

That window has closed. Its 2 teams now who do not use him enough.

I should clarify, it was not multiple firsts but two or three teams offered me a first. Regardless, He was supposed to be the key to my closing window championship run. If i were rebuilding or close to it I would have taken it and run. 

 

[King of the Jungle]

I should clarify, it was not multiple firsts but two or three teams offered me a first. Regardless, He was supposed to be the key to my closing window championship run. If i were rebuilding or close to it I would have taken it and run. 

Can’t blame you for not taking those offers. Houston was setup to a high scoring offense and they paid for Duke to be their RB. Everything on paper lined up for him to be a huge FF asset. Then Hyde came into the picture...

The puzzling thing is the guy produces when given the ball. I don’t understand why he is always on a pitch count. 

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Drop.  Watson's tendency is to scramble to throw downfield or run it himself.  He hardly checks down to Duke.

This is the key note here. The rb who is the straight ahead handoff guy is much more valuable in this instance. Duke might need a different situation to match his talents.

 

[[scooter]]

I was just offered his Duke Johnson and Doug Martin for my J. Meyers & KeeSean Johnson in dynasty ppr. I'm not sure that's good for me. If it were just Meyers for Johnson, I would do it.

Martin is out of the league and Johnson is slightly better than being a JAG.

I'd keep the young WRs.

 

[The Frankman]

Duke Johnson rushed nine times for 36 yards and caught 5-of-6 targets for 54 yards and a touchdown in Week 13 against the Patriots.

Johnson was left wide open in the flats for a walk-in 14-yard touchdown. He ended up leading the Texans in rushing and the 90 total yards is one of his better games. This a nice breakout for Johnson, who had been held under 50 total yards the last two weeks. With a Week 14 matchup against the Broncos, Johnson shouldn’t be in lineups for the the fantasy playoffs.

 

[az_prof]

Duke and Hyde are pretty much splitting the RB value in HOU.  There is no way to predict who is worth starting week to week. Frustrating because both are ok.

 

[Biabreakable]

While Hyde started this game Houston is playing a lot of back ups and Duke Johnson is getting a chance to shine.

He just scored a TD.

 

[The Frankman]

Duke Johnson rushed three times for 38 yards and caught all three of his targets for 30 yards in the Texans' Wild Card win over the Bills.

Johnson was out-carried 16-3 by Carlos Hyde, but Johnson did come up with a clutch 18-yard catch on 3rd-and-18 in overtime on the eventual game-winning drive. He just doesn't get the touches to be relevant in fantasy.

 

[Faust]

DUKE JOHNSON RB, HOUSTON TEXANS

Texans running backs coach Danny Barrett said having David Johnson and Duke Johnson on the field at the same time could make it harder for defenses to disguise their schemes.

Barrett and Texans HC Bill O'Brien talked up an increase in the team's usage of 21 personnel (two running backs, one tight end) this season. The personnel grouping would give QB Deshaun Watson a "clearer picture" of the defense and create mismatches against linebackers covering David and Duke Johnson one on one. “We’re going to try to really expose their defense,” David Johnson said. “Whatever they give us, we’re going to definitely be able to use that as an advantage.” While this is the time of year when every coach is going to have every running back on the field at the same time, Duke Johnson would have solid standalone value if Houston follows through and uses 21 personnel often in 2020. 

RELATED: 

David Johnson

SOURCE: The Athletic 

Aug 19, 2020, 10:06 AM ET

 

[Faust]

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Duke Johnson has a sprained ankle.

Johnson was active in the first quarter with Houston utilizing two-back sets, but he exited with his ankle injury and never returned. Schefter reports that Duke Johnson is already "questionable" for Week 2 in two weekends. We'll see how much he practices, but for now, it seems like David Johnson could be in a three-down role for the next game. That would make him a solid RB2.

RELATED: 

David Johnson

SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter

Sep 11, 2020, 9:41 PM ET

 

[Faust]

Texans RB Duke Johnson (ankle) was not spotted at practice on Monday. 

We're waiting for Houston's official practice report but The Athletic's Aaron Reiss didn't see the running back at practice. After suffering an ankle injury on Thursday night against Kansas City, he was deemed "questionable" almost immediately. A few missed practices this week and Johnson's availability for Week 2 against the Ravens will be in serious doubt. His absence could mean a slight uptick in targets for David Johnson in what could be a high-scoring game. 

RELATED: 

David Johnson

SOURCE: Aaron Reiss on Twitter 

Sep 14, 2020, 12:47 PM ET

 

[Faust]

Duke Johnson (ankle) is practicing Wednesday.

It's a good sign after Johnson missed the second half of Houston’s opener. The Texans have UDFA Scottie Phillips and Buddy Howell behind Johnson.

SOURCE: Houston Chronicle

Sep 16, 2020, 11:54 AM ET

 

[Unwrittenlaw]

Is this guy droppable in dynasty? He's clearly #2 behind DJ and he's not even the receiving back anymore. In addition, he's getting half of the snaps he received last year.

 

[Horses Mouth]

Thoughts on Duke as a handcuff necessity to D. Johnson vs picking up a WR like Gage, etc...?

 

[Banger]

not sure it's worth handcuffing this offense the way it's looked the first 2 weeks.  seems like the production from this backfield will depend largely on the opponent (and I have David Johnson).