Juwan Johnson or MarShawn Lloyd: Who Should You Start?
2026 Week 2 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Johnson’s volume meets Lloyd’s rushing monopoly
Johnson brings the steadier role: his TE1 usage and receiving profile can survive a slow Saints offense, but the Questionable tag makes that floor conditional. Lloyd has the cleaner game environment, and Yahoo Sports 2026-09-14 confirms he handled every rushing-play snap last week, creating touchdown equity even with limited routes. The problem is that Lloyd’s lack of passing-down work leaves him exposed if Green Bay falls behind, while Johnson’s Baltimore matchup offers no meaningful edge. Johnson is safer if active; Lloyd has the higher ceiling through rushing volume, making the PPR call genuinely level.
What flips it: A late downgrade for Johnson, or confirmation that Lloyd will handle passing downs.
Sources: Yahoo Sports · Sep 14, 2026
AI editor
In standard and half-PPR scoring this flips to Lloyd.
Juwan Johnson
5.07.08.9 Projected Points
MarShawn Lloyd
9.710.411.2 Projected Points
Juwan Johnson’s market
MarShawn Lloyd’s market
Why Juwan Johnson
Sit· mediumTE1 and high-volume pass-catcher. Big-bodied converted receiver who is a red-zone and intermediate mismatch.
TE16 at 8.9 points with a Questionable tag, a 19.5 implied total and a middling Baltimore matchup — replacement-level output for a 12-team TE slot.
- Johnson’s red-zone mismatch profile gives him a clear touchdown path despite New Orleans’ modest scoring outlook.
- His receiving role can hold up better than Lloyd’s if either game script turns negative.
The call
- Consensus has him TE16 at 8.9 PPR points — outside the 12 starting TE slots, so he's a streamer-tier play, not a set-and-forget one.
- The Ravens grade 12 of 32 in DvP composite vs tight ends, the harder half of the league, and New Orleans' 19.5 implied total caps the touchdown equity he'd need to beat his projection.
- Role is not the problem: 84% snap share and a 14% target share as the clear TE1, and the 7.5-point spread means garbage-time throwing volume — that's the path to a usable line.
- The Questionable designation is the tiebreaker; if he's upgraded to full participation and you're desperate at TE, he's a defensible floor play, but a healthy top-12 TE is the better start.
Latest on Johnson
With Alvin Kamara sidelined, fantasy managers are left to wonder who will pick up the carries for New Orleans.
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Why MarShawn Lloyd
Toss-Up· mediumRB1-listed change-of-pace back. Explosive burst and receiving upside; minimal NFL sample due to injuries.
Owns 100% of the rushing-play snaps on a 5.5-point favorite, but RB33 at 11.2 with a 3% target share is pure flex — zero pass-game floor.
- Lloyd’s rushing-play monopoly gives him unusually direct access to goal-line work.
- A favorable script could make his limited passing-game role irrelevant if Green Bay protects a lead.
The call
- Role is the bull case: per Yahoo (9/14), Lloyd took all 13 of Green Bay's rushing-play snaps in Week 1 on a 44% snap share, so the carries funnel through him.
- Game script helps — a 24.0 implied total and a -5.5 spread point to a lead Green Bay can grind out, which means late-game handoffs.
- The cap is receiving work: 3% target share, seven pass-pro snaps and no catches means his PPR floor lives entirely on rushing volume and touchdown luck.
- Matchup grades tough (DvP 3 of 32, with 32 softest), but that's a one-game sample at 0.00 confidence — don't bench him on it. If he holds the full rush-snap share, he's a startable flex; if Green Bay splits the backfield, sit him.
Latest on Lloyd
Lloyd played 30 snaps in the Week 1 opener and got all 13 of the team's rushing-play snaps (13 carries), but only saw 16 passing-down snaps and pass-protected on just seven plays with no catches.
Yahoo Sports · Sep 14, 2026Lloyd is finally healthy and Josh Jacobs is on the commissioner exempt list, but how much of a workload can Lloyd handle in Week 1?
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Head-to-head stats
| Metric | Juwan Johnson | MarShawn Lloyd |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 5.07.08.9 | 9.710.411.2 |
| Consensus rank | TE16 | RB33 |
| Opponent vs position | BAL · 12 of 321-game sample | NYJ · 3 of 321-game sample |
| Receptions | 5 of 32 | 8 of 32 |
| Receiving Yards | 2 of 32 | 6 of 32 |
| Receiving TDs | 21 of 32 | — |
| Targets | 11 of 32 | — |
| Anytime TD | 20 of 32 | 1 of 32 |
| Rushing Yards | — | 3 of 32 |
| Rushing TDs | — | 1 of 32 |
| Rushing Attempts | — | 1 of 32 |
| Target share | 14% | 3% |
| Reception share | 9% | 0% |
| Implied total · spread | 19.5+7.5 | 24.0-5.5 |
| Depth chart | TE1 | RB1 |
| Snap share | 84% | 44% |
| Injury designation | Questionable | — |
| Start/Sit record | 0–0+1 toss-up | 0–1+1 toss-up |
Recent form
Juwan Johnson — last 1 week
| Week 1 | vs DET | 11.412.914.4 |
MarShawn Lloyd — last 1 week
| Week 1 | vs MIN | 3.73.73.7 |
Signal breakdown
- 8.9 vs 11.2 projected PPR pointsMarShawn Lloyd +
- Rank 16 vs 33Juwan Johnson +
- Opponent DvP rank 12 vs 3 (32 = softest)even
- Implied 19.5 vs 24.0 team pointsMarShawn Lloyd +
- Questionable vs no designationMarShawn Lloyd +
- 84% vs 44% snap shareJuwan Johnson +
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