What the Duke Johnson trade means in fantasy football

This changes some things.

Duke Johnson Jr. finally got his wish on Thursday.

The running back who was buried on the depth chart last season had asked for a trade earlier this year and didn’t get his wish. He came to minicamp in June reiterating he was unhappy and still wanted a trade, particularly because the team has Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt now.

Now, he’s a member of the Houston Texans thanks to a deal finally happening. And there are a lot of fantasy football implications from the trade.

Let’s break it down player by player, starting with the man traded on Thursday:

Duke Johnson

After a 2017 in which he caught 74 passes and scored a total of seven touchdowns, his fantasy value took a massive hit last year when he snagged 47 passes.

Now? He suddenly becomes intriguing in Houston, who just cut D’Onta Foreman this week. Lamar Miller had a stretch last season where he rushed for 100-plus yards in four out of six contests, but he was otherwise just decent. He only caught 25 passes, too. So there’s room for Johnson to be a pass-catcher out of the backfield and maybe take on a slightly bigger role. He’ll be a late-round sleeper with a chance to be a Flex in PPR leagues.

Lamar Miller

He basically had the starting job all to himself and was shaping up to be an unspectacular RB3 type who could have good weeks in matchups. Now? I’m nervous. He’s got an ADP of 65.5 per Fantasy Pros, right around where names like Derrius Guice, D.J. Moore and Hunter Henry are. Yes, the running back position is shallow, but I’m probably skipping Miller unless he drops farther. He could become a two-down back now.

Nick Chubb

He’s still a borderline RB1, and that was going to be the case even if Johnson was on the roster.

Kareem Hunt

Same with him. He’s suspended for eight games and has an ADP of 93.5. This just means he’d have a timeshare with Chubb when he returns and wouldn’t be in a three-headed RB situation.