Juwan Johnson — 2026 Fantasy Outlook

Over his first two NFL seasons, Johnson managed just 17 career catches for 198 yards and four touchdowns on 31 targets. He arrived in New Orleans from Oregon with a classic big-bodied receiver build at 6'4" and 230 pounds, but his college numbers were modest as well (111 catches for 1,590 yards and six touchdowns on 179 targets) across four seasons.

His breakout came in 2022, when the Saints gave him eight starts, and Johnson responded with career-best numbers: 42 catches, 508 yards, and seven touchdowns on 65 targets. Over a seven-game stretch from Week 7 through Week 15, he delivered fantasy value in five of those outings (5/32/2, 2/42/1, 5/44/1, 3/47/1, and 4/67/2). An ankle injury cut his Week 12 short after just six snaps, costing him the following game as well. For the season, Johnson played 64.6% of New Orleans' offensive snaps.

A calf injury cost him four games in 2023, and his production cratered to start the year (20 catches for 152 yards and one touchdown on 35 targets through his first nine games). Johnson picked things back up late, producing from Week 15 through Week 17 (2/38/1, 4/48/1, and 8/90/1). New Orleans split tight end work four ways, with Johnson (52.7%), Foster Moreau (52.1%), Taysom Hill (40.3%), and Jimmy Graham (16.2%), all seeing time.

Foot surgery in mid-June of 2024 wiped out most of his offseason, and Johnson opened that year in a reduced, backup role over the first three games (2/26/1, 0/0, and 0/0). He didn't become fantasy-relevant again until Week 11 (3/30/1), after which he caught fire down the stretch, totaling 25 catches for 271 yards and a touchdown on 34 targets over his final six starts, with three standout performances along the way (4/50/1, 6/66, and 6/80).

Johnson comes off his best season in catches (77), receiving yards (889), and targets (103). He scored over 10.00 fantasy points in 10 of his 17 starts, leading to him ranking eighth in PPR scoring (181.90). New Orleans had Johnson on the field for 77.6% of their plays.