Who Should I Start? Sione Vaki or Kaleb Johnson
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.8 | 13.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 4.0 | 0.0 |
Sione Vaki News
Friday, July 24, 9:08 PM
Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki is a "natural pass-catcher," and "the opportunity is there" for him to cut into presumed Lions RB2 Isiah Pacheco's touches, per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. A fourth-round pick in 2024, Vaki has mostly played special teams through his first two professional seasons and has just seven career NFL carries. The Lions still have star running back Jahmyr Gibbs firmly atop their running back depth chart, but the team replaced veteran RB2 David Montgomery with Pacheco over the offseason. Pacheco has significantly more experience than Vaki, but he's averaged just 3.8 yards per carry on over 200 attempts since the start of the 2024 season. If Vaki can prove himself with a strong performance in training camp and the preseason, he could potentially threaten Pacheco's status as the Lions' clear backup running back. In deeper dynasty leagues, Vaki could be worth stashing just in case he emerges as the handcuff option in Detroit should Gibbs get injured.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | 10.4 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 0.0 |
Kaleb Johnson News
Monday, September 7, 11:09 AM
Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson is worth keeping an eye on while Josh Jacobs remains unavailable. The Packers traded a 2028 sixth-round pick for Johnson on Aug. 30 after his quiet rookie season in Pittsburgh, where he managed only 69 yards on 28 carries. The opportunity in Green Bay is better. MarShawn Lloyd should get the first crack at leading the backfield, but Johnson has already worked alongside him with the first-team offense, while Chris Brooks is better suited for passing-down work. Johnson also has some familiarity with Matt LaFleur's system after playing in a similar offense during his final season at Iowa. None of that makes him a Week 1 starter, and RotoBaller currently has him at RB70 for the opener against Minnesota. The waiver outlook is more interesting than the immediate lineup value. RotoBaller recommends Johnson in leagues with 14 or more teams, which fits where things stand. He's a speculative stash with a path to more work if this backfield stays unsettled.
Sione Vaki vs. Kaleb Johnson
Still trying to decide between Vaki and Johnson? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Sione Vaki is projected to score 2.8 points this week while Kaleb Johnson is projected to score 2.1 points.
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