Who Should I Start? Caleb Williams or Kaleb Johnson

Tuesday, September 9, 12:47 AM

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams completed 21 of 35 passes for 210 yards with one touchdown in a 27-24 loss against the Vikings. He also rushed for 58 yards on six carries with a touchdown. It was a smooth start for Williams and the new Bears offense under head coach Ben Johnson as they marched down the field for a touchdown on their opening drive. However, their offense scored only three points over their next nine drives. The run game with D'Andre Swift was largely inefficient, and Williams mostly took what the defense gave him. Williams found Rome Odunze for a touchdown right late in the fourth quarter to close the lead to three, but it was not enough. On a positive note, Williams looked very smooth and fast as a runner tonight, which is a key part of his fantasy appeal. It was a decent season debut for Williams as he builds his understanding of Johnson's offense, and he should be viewed as a low-end QB1 for fantasy purposes with his dual-threat ability.

Friday, September 5, 6:33 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson will make his regular-season NFL debut against the New York Jets in Week 1. A third-round pick in April's draft, Johnson has plenty of potential, especially in a Steelers offense that has ranked top-10 in rush attempts in each of the past three seasons. That said, it's unclear just how much of a role Johnson will have early on. Head coach Mike Tomlin recently labeled Jaylen Warren the team's "featured runner", and veteran Kenneth Gainwell currently sits ahead of Johnson on the depth chart. With Sunday's contest expected to be low-scoring, there is no reason to force Johnson into starting lineups. He should remain rostered in all formats, but fantasy managers would be wise to take a wait-and-see approach with Johnson.