Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson saw himself fall dramatically in fantasy football drafts this past season. In 2011, Johnson was widely considered the first or second receiving option behind only Calvin Johnson, but entering 2012 his value had taken a serious hit after a lackluster performance throughout 2011. Johnson finished the 2011 season with only 492 yards and two touchdowns in just seven games, which was easily the worst fantasy season of his career.
Johnson only caught 17 passes through his first five games of 2012 and many people thought Johnson was in for a repeat of his disappointing 2011 season. However, “Andre 3000” shifted into overdrive in the last couple months of the regular season.
In his last 11 games of the season, Johnson grabbed 95 passes, was targeted 133 times, averaged 119.5 yards per game, and hauled in two touchdowns. He may not have had many scores, but he was an absolute yardage monster in Houston’s offense for fantasy owners.
For a two-week period, Johnson was putting up numbers that would make Jerry Rice blush. He grabbed 14 passes for 273 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during Thanksgiving. Johnson followed it up by grabbing nine passes for 188 yards the very next week. This was AJ’s official fantasy comeback this past season, so make sure you took notice.
Johnson will once again be an elite receiving option in 2013. He may not be a first round pick with all the quality quarterbacks out there, along with the sudden emergence of A. J. Green, but Johnson will certainly be worth a second round pick in 2013. He has shown that he can be a number one receiver through an entire season once again and will be ranked near the top of everyone’s cheat sheets this summer. If Johnson is still there when you pick in the second round this summer, do not let him pass you by.
