Should I drop Kaleb Johnson in Week 2? Fantasy outlook and projections explored for Steelers RB

Kaleb Johnson entered the 2025 fantasy football season as one of the most intriguing rookie running backs to keep an eye on. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers and was expected to play a major role in their offensiev gameplan, but his debut was extremely disappointing.

He receieved just one carry in their game last week and logged negative two yards while clearly serving as the thri running back on their depth chart. This has essentially tanked his fantasy outlook, especially in the short term, and he has now become a potential drop candidate from rosters already. Here's how to approach the rookie with Week 2 approaching.

Should I drop Kaleb Jonnson for Week 2 Fantasy Football?

Kaleb Johnson

Kaleb Johnson was massively disappointing in the first week of the 2025 fantasy football season. Considering he receievd just one carry, it makes sense if many managers are already prepared to drop him from their rosters in season-long leagues. He isn't necessarily worth stashing in this format currently as he only played in 4% of the snaps for the Steelers.

Where he still makes for a solid stash candidate is in Dyantasy leagues where the multi-year format often benefits rookies. The Steelers likely wouldn't have invested a premium draft pick on him unless they planned on featuring him eventually. Managers also likely used a top pick in their rookie drafts to acquire Johnson, so they should remain patient with his long-term upside.

Kaleb Johnson fantasy outlook for rest of 2025 season

Many fantasy football managers have been wondering how the Pittsburgh Steelers would distribute their backfield workload in 2025 after moving on from Najee Harris during the offseason. Most assumed it would be split in some way between Kaleb Johnson and Jaylen Warren, but it was shockingly Kenneth Gainwell who led the way last week.

While it's possible that Gainwell remains their preferred running back, it also seems unlikely. It's fair to assume that they will use somewhat of a committee approach for now to give all three of their potential options opportunities to prove their value.

This is where Kaleb Johnson could eventually become a usefull fantasy football running back, but managers will have to be patient with the rookie. It would be shocking if he doesn't eventually get his opportunity, considering the investment the Steeler made on him, but when that will happen is completely unknown. It will be interesting to see if his role increases as early as Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks at home.