Second-year running back Kaleb Johnson was being phased out of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization just a little more than a week ago. Now, he is entering the Green Bay Packers backfield with a chance to be the fantasy football steal of the season.
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report believes that Johnson is the running back to take a swing on in Green Bay. Kay mentions his low draft cost and high potential with the Packers.
“For fantasy purposes, consider Johnson a high-upside lottery ticket worth stashing at the end of your bench,” wrote Kay. “He may not provide much value right away, which is reflected in his ADP of 220, but injuries or production woes from the players ahead of him on the depth chart will open the door for a breakout.”
Johnson is likely entering the room as the third running back. But the position is already volatile, and there are no clear winners in the Packers running back room yet.
Green Bay Packers Added a Fantasy Football Value in RB Kaleb Johnson
Josh Jacobs was expected to be the Packers’ lead back, but he is on the Commissioner Exempt list. He could return at some point, but most indications are that he will miss a few weeks, if not the majority of the season.
As things stand, Johnson will enter the room behind both MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks. However, Lloyd is entering his third NFL season, and he has just six carries.
Injuries have been the name of the game for him. More than that, his career-high in rushing in a season was 115 attempts at USC. His career-high in rushes in a game was 21, and that came in 2022 at South Carolina.
There is a real question as to whether Lloyd can handle the workload. Head coach Matt LaFleur already made it clear he was unsure how much Lloyd could take.
Brooks was the backup to Josh Jacobs last year, but he is a former UDFA who has bounced around and has failed to flash in his limited work. The team would likely keep Brooks in a rotation, but it is hard to see his talent ascend to the top of the roster.
Packers Might Use Johnson More Than Expected
Johnson only had 28 rushes last season, but that was more than Lloyd has had in his NFL career. More than that, Johnson had 240 rushing attempts during his final year of college back in 2024.
That included six games with 20 or more rushes and one game with 35 rushes.
Johnson was a third-round pick in 2025, while Lloyd was drafted in 2024. So, Johnson has proven he can handle bigger workloads in single games and over full seasons, and his talent has flashed on the field more recently as well.
It is easy to see why Johnson could end up being the better option for the Packers than Lloyd moving forward. In fantasy drafts, Lloyd is being drafted like the starter, and he is the next man up. However, if he cannot handle the workload or is not as good a fit, they could quickly move to Johnson.
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