Who Should I Start? Juwan Johnson or Rashee Rice


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
9.9 0.0 0.0 4.2 44.2 0.2

Juwan Johnson News

Juwan Johnson a High-Floor Tight End Streamer in Week 1

Saturday, September 12, 12:50 PM

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson had the best season of his career in 2025, recording 77 catches for 889 yards and three touchdowns on 102 targets across 17 games. With Saints rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) on Injured Reserve to begin the year, Johnson appears set to open 2026 as the number two option in the New Orleans passing game behind only star wide receiver Chris Olave. In Week 1, Johnson and the Saints will travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. The Lions fielded a slightly below-average pass defense against tight ends in 2025, allowing the 13th-most fantasy points to the position. However, Detroit will be without starting safeties Brian Branch (Achilles) and Kerby Joseph (knee) to begin the year, and the team lost top coverage linebacker Alex Anzalone to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. With a favorable matchup against the Lions, Johnson profiles as a low-end TE1 option for fantasy managers in Week 1.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
13.9 2.2 0.0 5.2 57.8 0.4

Rashee Rice News

Rashee Rice Off Injury Report, Ready To Roll Against Denver

Saturday, September 12, 11:45 AM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was listed on the injury report with the knee issue he's been dealing with since last season, but he participated fully in practice all week and should be ready to roll. Rice will operate as the Chiefs WR1 again this season after dealing with legal and health issues this offseason. Rice has been nothing but effective for the Chiefs, producing WR1 numbers for fantasy, especially in PPR formats. The matchup this week will be tough given the strength of the Broncos defense, but Rice should be able to produce mainly as a slot receiver. The addition of Kenneth Walker should also help open things up for Rice in the middle of the field, since defenses will need to worry about stopping the run. Given the age of Travis Kelce, Rice should be the undisputed top target for Patrick Mahomes once again. These videos out of camp earlier this offseason were a bit concerning since Rice did not look fully healthy, but his ability to practice in full all week should give fantasy managers some optimism surrounding his health. Head coach Andy Reid also commented on Rice, stating that the wideout should be fine going into the season. Rice is ranked WR14 in our RotoBaller Week 1 PPR rankings, making him a high-end WR2 option against the Denver defense. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable putting Rice in their lineups, but keep in mind that his fantasy output could be diminished this week.


Juwan Johnson vs. Rashee Rice

Still trying to decide between Johnson and Rice? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Juwan Johnson is projected to score 9.9 points this week while Rashee Rice is projected to score 13.9 points.