Chris Ivory, Chris Johnson's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 2

The New York Jets offense was seen by most as an unlikely source of fantasy football wealth prior to the regular season, but running back Chris Ivory could turn out to be a solid RB2 or RB3/flex in larger fantasy leagues.

Ivory hit paydirt for the second week in a row, scoring on a four-yard plunge in the second quarter of the Jets' Week 2 contest against the Green Bay Packers. This is a good sign for Ivory fantasy owners, as his size and strength advantage makes it all but certain that he will be New York's go-to back down near the goal line.     

This early success is in stark contrast to the tribulations of running back Chris Johnson. Though he looked fresh in Week 1, he struggled mightily in the first half against the Packers, sporting a paltry line of seven yards on six carries just before halftime. The final stats were clearly in favor of Ivory.

Player	Carries	Rush Yards	TDs	Rec	Rec Yds
Ivory	13	43	1	1	3
Johnson	12	21	0	1	0

The offensive line didn't do Johnson any favors, but he failed to do his part and get to the line of scrimmage quickly. Johnson is a very up-and-down player. Ivory is liable to take touchdowns away from him and the Jets' play-calling remains decidedly conservative while the team monitors the development of quarterback Geno Smith.

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Johnson was solid in Week 1, racking up 91 all-purpose yards and one touchdown, but the presence of Ivory prevents him from becoming a surefire starter week in and week out. 

Neither back has been able to make much headway in the passing game up to this point. Smith is still developing as a professional, but seems reluctant to get his backfield involved on checkdown options.

Still, he displayed improved accuracy and his ability to keep drives going will only help Ivory—and Johnson, should he gain traction—get the requisite amount of touches he needs to become a true impact fantasy football player. New York's solid defense should also help the team maintain early leads, which should also translate to more carries for the backfield duo.