The Miami Dolphins have signed Larry Johnson.
This was a surprise move and is one that may seriously put a dent in the redraft values of Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas.
Now while LJ may have only been brought on board to be the teams third running back, he still may be the most talented running back on this roster. The team made the move after waiving Kory Sheets.
Daniel Thomas’ dynasty league arrow is actually pointing up after this move as he will be able to be mentored by one of the top running backs of the last decade.
With Reggie Bush not expected to make it through the entire season unscathed and Daniel Thomas’ uphill running style, both present injury risks. LJ becomes one of the best third backs in the league and is someone who should be capable of carrying the load if both Thomas and Bush prove ineffective.
Fantasy Impact:
Daniel Thomas’ redraft value takes a significant hit and we now view him as no better than a RB3, though he still has RB2 upside this season due to his every-down ability. As mentioned above, we like this move for Thomas’ dynasty value as he will get to learn from a former elite running back. Thomas is extremely versatile and can play all three downs and as a former QB will be a terrific wildcat QB.
Reggie Bush’s redraft value remains about the same as we never believed he would all of a sudden get featured back touches and hold up for an entire season. Unable to run inside the tackles Bush will get his 10-12 touches a game but should be the lesser back in the committee. Bush remains a rock solid flex option in PPR leagues and a high upside flex2 in standard scoring leagues. The addition of LJ does nothing to Bush’s dynasty value as LJ is 31 and due to the fact that even if Bush was handed the featured role, he would just be keeping it warm for Daniel Thomas.
Larry Johnson is nothing more than a very intriguing bench stash until an injury strikes the Dolphins running back corps. He has no third down ability but could once again become an effective early down back running behind Jake Long. At the very least he is someone to add to your watch list in case of injury to Daniel Thomas or Reggie Bush.
