What It Means:

The Cardinals' aerial attack, however, is a different story. "David is a little more comfortable (than Chris) in the passing game," noted Goodwin. "(Bruce Arians) has certain things in mind with David, slotted out in formations, out of the backfield. He gives you a little different element from Chris. But running the ball, they are both even." The Arizona Republic explained, "It’s hard to accurately predict how often (Chris) Johnson will touch the ball this season," but they did confirm the notion that David would be starting. If Chris manages somewhere around 7-10 carries per game as a handcuff, then he could carve out some standalone fantasy value for himself this season.

Among 44 running backs with at least 100 carries last year, the younger Johnson finished first in Rushing Net Expected Points (NEP) per play. Our models currently project him to turn 210 rushing attempts into 930 yards and 9.24 touchdowns, while also catching 54 passes for 501 yards and 2.97 touchdowns. This makes him our third-ranked running back heading into the season. The elder Johnson is pegged for 559 rush yards and 3.48 scores on 143 attempts, as well as 16 catches for 111 yards and 0.28 touchdowns.