When one thinks of the Philadelphia Eagles and fantasy football, guys like LeSean McCoy, Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin come to mind. But with Maclin sidelined due to an ACL tear, and with Chip Kelly likely to spread the ball around, another player will blossom.
Meet second-year wide receiver from the University of Tulsa, Damaris Johnson. Johnson is a small, shifty receiver, but is not afraid to go across the middle. Johnson uses his tremendous quickness to gain yards after the catch, and could catch 40 passes this year, making him a good add as a WR5 in PPR leagues.
Last season, Johnson caught 19 passes for 256 yards, but also contributed three carries for 12 yards. If Andy Reid wanted to find ways to get Johnson the ball, Chip Kelly will definitely do so.
Expect Damaris Johnson to be the Eagles fourth receiver behind DeSean Jackson, Jason Avant, and Riley Cooper. But Cooper will likely be used strictly in running packages and goal line opportunities. Kelly will want to get Johnson the ball in space in order to maximize his skill set. Reports out of Eagles training camp say that Johnson is being used in many different ways, but expect him to get between four and six targets per game this season. Most of which will likely be end-arounds or quick screens.
In Johnson’s last year at Tulsa, he accumulated over 1400 yards and added 11 touchdowns, so he has been a playmaker before, expect him to contribute 45-55 touches for 700 total yards, and could score a few times on perfectly executed screens. Johnson will likely return punts as well, so if there are bonus points for returns in your league, it is just more value for the former Golden Hurricane. Draft Johnson as a last round selection in a PPR league as a WR5. He is a low-risk/high reward fantasy commodity.