Who Should I Start? Diontae Johnson or Alec Pierce

Tuesday, May 6, 1:15 PM

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson's one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns is for the veteran's minimum of $1.17 million and doesn't include any guaranteed money, according to ESPN's Field Yates. It's essentially a zero-risk deal for the Browns, while Johnson will be hoping to re-establish his value at just 28 years old. The former third-round pick (66th overall) of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019 out of Toledo was traded to the Carolina Panthers last offseason. He caught 30 of 58 targets for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven starts before then being traded to the Baltimore Ravens. Johnson was not a good fit there and only caught one of five targets for six yards before being cut. He then latched on with the Houston Texans and caught two of four targets for 12 yards in one game. Johnson has an opportunity in Cleveland alongside Jerry Jeudy, but his volatility and the Browns' QB situation makes him unattractive in most fantasy leagues.

Sunday, January 5, 8:34 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce did his usual thing on Sunday, catching a deep 40-yard touchdown pass on the team's opening drive and adding another 17-yard catch in the 26-23 win over the Jaguars. Despite only 37 receptions on the season, the 24-year-old finishes as the Colts' receiving leader with 824 yards and seven touchdowns. With blazing speed, he led the league in average depth of target (aDOT) which helped him rack up the yardage. The former second-round draft pick will likely fill a similar role in 2025 but, unless he can garner additional targets, it's hard to envision outpacing this season's production. Nevertheless, he should be worthy of at least a bench spot in next year's drafts, as he can be a viable (yet volatile) fill-in when the bye weeks hit.