David Johnson Injury: Top Running Back Options To Replace Cardinals Star

Football can be a cruel game, and David Johnson appears to have experienced that during Week 1.

The star Cardinals running back suffered a left wrist injury Sunday during Arizona’s 35-23 loss to the Detroit Lions, and early indications point to him potentially missing significant time.

In fact, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians had a pretty grim comparison, as relayed by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

Arizona since has signed running back D.J. Foster off the New England Patriots’ practice squad, according to Rapoport, citing a source.

So, it appears the Cardinals already are preparing for Johnson missing some time. And fantasy football owners should do the same. Luckily for you, though, we’re here to help with some RB options on the waiver wire.

D.J. Foster, Arizona Cardinals (Reportedly)
The former Arizona State running back signed with New England as an undrafted free agent following the 2016 NFL Draft. He saw limited time in the backfield in his first season, and he was signed to the practice squad prior to the 2017 campaign. We don’t really know what Foster is capable of in the NFL, but it appears he’s going to get a chance to show us. And if he takes advantage of the opportunity, he could be a steal in fantasy football.

Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears
Talk about an impressive debut. The 2017 fourth-round pick was effective in the running and passing games for the Bears in their season-opening loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He gained 66 yards on the ground, and he eight receptions for 47 yards with a touchdown. Sure, he’s not the top option for the Bears — that title belongs to Jordan Howard — but he’s already putting up big numbers against a team that came this close to winning the Super Bowl last season.

Javorius Allen, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens also have some injury concerns in their backfield with Danny Woodhead’s hamstring issues, and Allen was the beneficiary during Baltimore’s Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Allen ran the ball 21 times for 71 yards, and he out-snapped Terrance West 33 to 27, as pointed out by Yahoo! Sports.

Kerwynn Williams, Cardinals
Arizona also could look internally for an answer at running back. Williams entered the season as the Cardinals’ backup running back, but there’s a good chance he could see some reps as a starter in Johnson’s absence. He had a rushing touchdown in Week 1, but you’ll want to keep an eye out for what Arians will do at running back this week and beyond. If Williams plays, he could be a valuable addition.

Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks also have uncertainty at running back after Thomas Rawls missed Week 1 with a high ankle sprain. They used three different running backs in his place — Chris Carson, Eddie Lacy and C.J. Prosise — and Carson saw the most action with six carries for 39 yards and one reception for 10 yards.

Thumbnail photo via Dennis Wierzbicki/USA TODAY Sports Images