Emmett Johnson Compared to LeSean McCoy by Andy Reid, Where Should You Draft Chiefs RB in Dynasty?

Emmett Johnson may not be on the radar for many fantasy football players at this point, but that might change after the latest comments from Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

"First of all, he's got a good feel for things, a smart kid, good kid. He's got that lateral quickness. We had LeSean McCoy here for a bit and he has a little bit of that to him, where he can shift gears and still get himself up the field quickly," Reid said of the 2026 fifth-round draft pick, per Grant Gordon of NFL.com. 

 "I like the way he pass protects, I like the way he catches the football, and it looks like he can do that here. We're not doing live stuff, but the catching part he does easy. Probably most of all I just like his smarts. He's going to help on special teams, too. (special teams coordinator) Dave (Toub) has him in that up-back position on the punt team and (he's) able to make all the calls and get guys going in the right direction."

A word of warning to all those fantasy football managers who play in dynasty leagues. Just because the head coach is hyping up a late-round draft pick in April does not mean he will all of a sudden be a key part of Kansas City's offense.

After all, the Chiefs brought in Kenneth Walker III this offseason, and he figures to be the primary running back. Brashard Smith and Emari Demercado may also start the season ahead of Johnson on the depth chart.

Emmett Johnson highlights

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So don't take a chance on the Nebraska product in the first round of your dynasty drafts. But he is worth a low-risk, high-reward flyer in the late second round or early third round after running backs such as Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Jonah Coleman and Nicholas Singleton are off the board.

Johnson proved he can be explosive in his final season with Nebraska when he ran for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns to go with 46 catches for 370 yards and three scores. That receiving ability, which Reid highlighted, should help him carve out some playing time if he can become a third-down safety valve for Patrick Mahomes.

And that also presents plenty of long-term fantasy value if he establishes trust with the star quarterback.

But not enough long-term value to justify using a first-round pick on during a dynasty draft.