Fantasy Football PPR Comparison: Chris Johnson vs. LeSean McCoy

Chris Johnson

2010 statistics: 316 attempts, 1,364 yards, 11 touchdowns; 44 receptions, 245 yards, 1 touchdowns

He's the quickest running back in the NFL and just got an upgrade at quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck.

Even with Hasselbeck coming in, they still haven't played a single snap together. However, Johnson probably won't be as controlled by defenses as he was last season due to more of the respect opposing defenses will have to give the passing game.

Johnson has the advantage on McCoy in the running game, getting 109 more carries, 284 more yards and four more touchdowns than the Eagles back. That is, however, only 4.3 yards per carry to McCoy's average of 5.2 yards. This is a testament to how relatively bottled up Johnson was over the course of last season.

It's up to Hasselbeck, receiver Kenny Britt and tight end Jared Cook to take the pressure off CJ2K in 2011. If they are able to do that, Johnson's numbers can return close to 2009 form. 

LeSean McCoy

2010 Statistics: 207 attempts, 1,080 yards, 7 touchdowns; 78 receptions, 592 yards, 2 touchdowns

McCoy has the luxury of having the most versatile quarterback in the NFL: Michael Vick. The bread and butter of McCoy's game, and even the Eagles' offense as a whole, is the screen game. Defenses are forced to keep an eye on Vick as he's scrambling out of the pocket, and if they converge, it's an easy dump-off to McCoy in the flat. That's how the majority of those 78 catches were accrued in 2010. 

Vick gives McCoy a lot more room to maneuver in the ground game as well, as was proven by McCoy's aforementioned 5.2 yards per carry last season. Granted, owners would like to see more than 207 attempts on the ground from McCoy, but he more than makes up for it in the passing game. McCoy led all running backs in targets in 2010 with 90. His 78 receptions also led the league.

Verdict: McCoy

He just has too much of an advantage in the passing game with Vick at the helm. If it was a standard scoring format, I would take Johnson. Additionally, McCoy has more talent surrounding him and more experience with his quarterback.

Who do you prefer in a PPR league?