Who Should I Start? Kenneth Gainwell or Roschon Johnson

Sunday, August 3, 10:13 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin praised running back Kenneth Gainwell's versatility as both a rusher and a receiver, saying that Gainwell has a "well-rounded game." Mike DeFabo of The Athletic writes that Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has been deploying Gainwell "in a variety of roles, including outside at receiver." Gainwell signed a one-year contract with Pittsburgh this offseason after spending the first four years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 17 games last year with Philadelphia, he recorded 406 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 91 total touches. Gainwell figures to be part of a Steelers' backfield committee that also features Jaylen Warren and rookie third-rounder Kaleb Johnson. Arthur Smith has shown a preference for utilizing multiple running backs in the past, and it sounds like Gainwell's usage could cut into the fantasy production for both Warren and Johnson.

Thursday, September 4, 6:33 PM

Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson (foot) is on the Week 1 injury report and was unable to take part in the first practice of the week on Thursday as the club prepares for a divisional clash in the season opener on Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings. Rookie Kyle Monangai (hamstring) is also on the injury report, but he was limited in Thursday's practice. It's still early, but Chicago's backfield is banged up going into their season opener. It's something that fantasy managers in deeper leagues should monitor if they're concerned about their RB depth. The 24-year-old Johnson didn't play in the preseason finale two weeks ago and could be in danger of missing Week 1, which could allow Monangai to have a bigger role right away behind D'Andre Swift. Johnson is merely a handcuff for those that have Swift rostered.