Who Should I Start? Ray Davis or Kaleb Johnson

Friday, January 24, 10:48 PM

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis is an unreliable fantasy option heading into Sunday's AFC Championship against the Kansas City Chiefs. Splitting the backup role with Ty Johnson has been hard enough for Davis this year. Now, he has to split the backup role while also facing off against one of the NFL's best run defenses. The Chiefs have been lethal against running backs this year, allowing the third-fewest rushing yards, fifth-fewest catches, and fourth-fewest receiving yards to the position during the 2024 regular season. Furthermore, they didn't surrender a single receiving touchdown to running backs. In Bills-Chiefs during Week 11, Davis was highly efficient, tallying just 11 rushing yards on five carries. With Cook in the lead-back role and Johnson serving as a key weapon for Josh Allen in the passing game, Davis needs to make the most of his limited opportunities in Buffalo's backfield. That won't be easy this week against the Chiefs. Cook remains the top Bills running back in fantasy football, and Johnson currently ranks ahead of Davis, too.

Wednesday, April 30, 1:36 PM

The Athletic's Mike DeFabo lists Pittsburgh Steelers rookie third-round running back Kaleb Johnson as a co-starter with Jaylen Warren in an early look at the team's positional battles this offseason. Johnson, who stands at 6-foot-1, 224 pounds, is a physical back that is built to carry the load. It remains to be seen how the Steelers will divvy up the touches in their backfield in 2025, but it's widely believed that Johnson was taken with the 83rd overall pick to essentially replace Najee Harris, who signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. The 21-year-old had 240 carries for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns for Iowa in 2024 and also caught 22 passes for 188 yards and two more TDs. Warren starred in a third-down role for Pittsburgh his first three years and will take valuable touches away from Johnson in his rookie campaign, even if Johnson is the go-to guy on early downs.