Fantasy football news: Juwan Johnson to endure foot surgery, questionable to be available by Week 1

The tight end position in fantasy football has never been easy to navigate. The field of players will potentially lose a key player to begin the 2024 season with projected starter Juwan Johnson expected to proceed with a surgical procedure on his foot in June.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Johnson suffered a serious injury to his foot in the offseason that will require surgery and a lengthy recovery period. The team is "hopeful" that he will be ready for the beginning of the regular season but a timetable for his return cannot be officially set until after his procedure.

Schefter reported that the 27-year-old tight end is expected to begin the surgical process in mid-June.

Entering his fifth year in the league, Johnson has spent all four years of his NFL career with New Orleans. He took over as the full-time starter in 2022 and was listed at the top of the depth chart in 2024.

Juwan Johnson 2023 fantasy production

After establishing himself as a starting tight end in 2022, Johnson regressed in 2023 in an injury-riddled year. The fourth-year player finished with 37 catches for just 368 total yards and four touchdowns, all decreases in production from his previous season.

Despite playing in just 13 games, Johnson finished as the 24th-best fantasy tight end in standard leagues and 26th in PPR formats per FantasyPros. His final ranking was a regression from finishing as a top-15 player in his position in 2022.

With so much uncertainty at tight end in the modern NFL, Johnson was not a player that fantasy managers would be targeting in re-draft leagues. However, his status as an experienced starter led to him trending towards having an average draft position, or ADP, of 180.

Who will start for the Saints if Juwan Johnson is not available in Week 1?

New Orleans has been notoriously thin at tight end ever since Jimmy Graham left the team in 2014. Ironically, Graham may be a player the team calls to help fill the void of Johnson's injury. The 37-year-old rejoined the team for the 2023 season as a reserve and is currently a free agent who has left his retirement decision up to the team.

Even if Graham is brought back, he will not be the immediate starter after catching just six passes in 2023. Taysom Hill is listed as the backup on the depth chart but anyone who has ever watched New Orleans play knows he is anything but a traditional tight end. With Johnson out, Hill is not likely to see much additional usage.

Beyond the human Swiss-army knife, Foster Moreau is the only other true tight end on the active roster. The Saints will also have practice squad signee Tommy Hudson at their disposal. Moreau garnered just 25 targets through 15 games in 2023 while Hudson has recorded just six catches in his career.

In all scenarios, both New Orleans and fantasy managers will be hoping that Johnson can make a full recovery by September to be available for Week 1.