Yahoo Fantasy Football on Kaleb Johnson

ArticleFantasy Football: What is the 'RB Dead Zone' and how to navigate it for 2026 dr...
Read the full article

From the article

Kaleb Johnson earned Day 2 draft capital from the Steelers. With Najee Harris out of the picture, we (and I'll use the royal 'we' here) all bought what Pittsburgh's front office was selling. They drafted Johnson to be their RB1. However, even after reports of him struggling in training camp, we dismissed Kenneth Gainwell's $1.8 million contract.
Captured by STACKED 20 min after posting

STACKED’s take

Negative signalBust

Steelers' Day 2 pick Johnson lost lead role to Gainwell despite preseason hype.

Despite earning Day 2 draft capital from the Steelers with Najee Harris out of the picture, Johnson struggled in training camp and lost the lead role to Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren. The source illustrates Johnson as a cautionary example of the RB Dead Zone—a player drafted to be the RB1 whose situation broke differently than anticipated, with Gainwell earning goal-line carries over Johnson despite his lower contract value.

Kaleb Johnson headshotKaleb JohnsonRB · GBPlayer page — value, ADP, projections, and every insight

More on Kaleb Johnson and from Yahoo Fantasy Football