The Chiefs selected Johnson in the fifth round of the NFL Draft from Nebraska, and he will compete for a backup role behind Kenneth Walker III this season. If Johnson is No. 2 on the depth chart in Kansas City, then he'll be worth a late-round flier in redraft leagues. He's worth a second-round pick in rookie-only drafts for Dynasty leagues. Johnson will compete with Brashard Smith and Emari Demercado for the backup role behind Walker, and Johnson makes the most sense as the handcuff option for the Chiefs. In 2025 at Nebraska, Johnson had 251 carries for 1,451 yards, 12 touchdowns and 46 catches for 370 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games. Johnson likely won't do much as long as Walker is healthy, but he does have Fantasy value if he's second on the depth chart. Keep an eye on what happens in training camp, and Johnson could be a quality stash candidate if he's ahead of Smith and Demarcado to open the year.
Fantasy News
Chiefs' Emmett Johnson: Losing ground early on?
Rotowire
Jesse Newell of The Athletic indicates Johnson has been fourth in the team's RB pecking order behind top option Kenneth Walker, as well as both Emari Demercado and Brashard Smith to this point in training camp.
While Newell indicates that the Chiefs were thrilled to land Johnson in the fifth round of April's draft and suggests that the rookie's long-term prospects with the team remain unchanged, it looks like he may have some ground to make up ahead of Week 1. Things could of course change as the summer progresses and Johnson continues to develop, but for now, his role behind Walker has yet to be determined, while the team's RB2 job remains up for grabs. The Chiefs' preseason opener is Aug. 15 against the Rams, with added context regarding backfield slotting presumably set to arrive via the release of the team's first unofficial depth chart prior to that contest.
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Chiefs' Emmett Johnson: Draws LeSean McCoy comp from Reid
Rotowire
Johnson is competing with Brashard Smith and Emari Demercado for slotting on Kansas City's running back depth chart behind Kenneth Walker, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports.
The Chiefs almost completely remade their backfield compared to last season, letting Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco walk while retaining the 2025 seventh-round pick Smith, and signing Walker and Demercado before drafting Johnson in the fifth round. Kansas City also signed undrafted free agents Jaydn Ott and EJ Smith. Demercado and Brashard Smith both seem best suited for change-of-pace roles on passing downs, so Johnson could have a clear lane to getting the second-most carries behind Walker. Head coach Andy Reid compared Johnson's skill set to that of former NFL running back LeSean McCoy, who exceeded 1,000 regular-season rushing yards on six occasions.
