Kaleb Johnson
Kaleb Johnson arrived in Green Bay via a low-cost trade from Pittsburgh, where he'd been buried on the depth chart under two different coaching staffs. With Josh Jacobs now on the exempt list and starter Marshawn Lloyd carrying real injury risk, Johnson has emerged as the primary backup option in a backfield with genuine touch uncertainty.
The first week of coverage (Fantasy Footballers, Establish The Run, RotoWire, Rotoworld) dismissed him as pure roster filler not worth a pick, buried behind Lloyd and Chris Brooks. That flipped once reports surfaced he was running with the first-team offense — FantasyPros and The Ringer began pitching him as a sleeper, with The Ringer arguing his Pittsburgh flop was a scheme mismatch now fixed by Green Bay's zone-heavy, under-center offense. The Jacobs exempt-list news pushed Fantasy Life and Harris Fantasy Football Podcast to elevate him further as the preferred speculative add given Lloyd's own injury history, though FantasyPros Dynasty still flags size and health concerns as reasons for caution.
The line: Grab Johnson as a free/cheap handcuff now — Jacobs' exempt status and Lloyd's injury history make him one incident away from real touches.
▶ The Late-Round Fantasy Football Podcast: Looked best of a messy Packers backfield last week; volatile committee situation vs. Tampa Bay could produce a bigger role. listen ↗
▲ Yahoo Fantasy Football with Josh & Hayden: Surpassed Marshawn Lloyd in snap share (36% vs 23%) on Thursday Night Football; hosts prefer him over Lloyd despite a poor Packers offensive line. listen ↗
▼ The Late-Round Fantasy Football Podcast: Looks ordinary/average so far this season. listen ↗
▼ Harris Fantasy Football Podcast: Failed to make a defender miss in space and showed no explosiveness, reinforcing concerns about Green Bay's backfield talent. listen ↗
▶ Yahoo Fantasy Forecast with Matt Harmon: Lacks athleticism but hosts suggest his snaps could increase this week and he's a speculative add against Atlanta's defense. listen ↗
▶ Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry: Led Green Bay in carries in Week 2, complicating Lloyd's path to volume. listen ↗
▶ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Fitzmaurice notes Johnson outplayed Lloyd last week, leading the team in rushing yards and getting overtime work, muddying the Packers backfield outlook. listen ↗
▶ The Audible: Showing burst and power in the crowded Packers backfield. listen ↗
▲ Yahoo Fantasy Football with Josh & Hayden: Expected to take over most carries after Marshawn Lloyd was benched following a stumble; coach Matt LaFleur's comments suggest an expanding role in a plus matchup vs. a banged-up Falcons defense. listen ↗
▶ Establish The Run Fantasy Football: Getting significant work in a three-man committee with Marshawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks; Lloyd fumbled and was benched, and a possible Josh Jacobs suspension outcome/return looms over the backfield. listen ↗
▶ Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry: Led Packers in rush attempts in Week 2 and looked good enough to earn more playing time, though hosts remain skeptical given Green Bay's poor offensive line; deep-league add only, with Marshawn Lloyd still viewed as the lead back. listen ↗
▲ Rotoworld Football Show – Fantasy Football: Looked explosive with 8 rushes in Week 2 and appears to be taking over the lead job from Marshawn Lloyd; hosts recommend picking him up as a potential starting back. listen ↗
▲ The Ringer Fantasy Football Show: Looked good running downhill and started overtime; could be the Packers' season-long starter, though the offensive line is decimated and Thursday timing is a concern. listen ↗
▶ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Led Packers in rushing (30 yards on 8 carries) after a fumble by Marshawn Lloyd; messy three-way timeshare with Lloyd and Chris Brooks, but has breakout upside worth a stash. listen ↗
▶ RotoWire Fantasy Football With Theo Gremminger: 8 carries for 32 yards after no work in Week 1; speculative add with hosts expecting his workload to climb toward 12-15 touches soon. listen ↗
Follow Kaleb Johnson
Get every take on him — and the rest of your roster — before waivers on Tuesday and before lineups lock on Sunday. Free through the season.
Sign up free