Andre Johnson is fading fast?

The last game Andre Johnson played in 2014 is the type of performance Fantasy owners still expect from him on a weekly basis. We always cling to the hope our favorite stars will never get old and never stop playing well.

Unfortunately, that's not always the case.

Johnson ended his season with 10 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville in Week 17. He saw 15 targets in the game and looked like he could still be a dominant force.

But that was Johnson's only 100-yard game of the season. And he scored just three touchdowns on the year. He finished with 105 Fantasy points, which made him the No. 41 receiver in standard leagues, and this was after finishing in the Top 12 the previous two seasons. His final stats were 85 catches, 936 yards and the three scores.

It's clear Johnson, 33, is losing the fight with father time when it comes to his career. He's no longer a dynamic playmaker -- DeAndre Hopkins is now the better receiver in Houston -- and poor quarterback play is also slowing Johnson down. He averaged just 11.0 yards per catch, which was his lowest total when playing at least 13 games since 2006. That average has also been on a steady decline from 14.9 yards per catch in 2011.

The Texans have to address their quarterback situation, and who starts could have a big impact on Johnson. Ryan Mallett is a free agent, but he could be Johnson's best bet for a return to form over Ryan Fitzpatrick or Tom Savage.

But even with the right quarterback, barring a trade for Aaron Rodgers or Andrew Luck, it's hard to count on Johnson as an upper-echelon Fantasy receiver this year. He's expected back in Houston even though he might have to restructure his contract (he's due $10.5 million guaranteed and will count $16.1 million against the salary cap), but Hopkins is now the Texans receiver to covet.

Hopkins had 76 catches for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns and was the No. 15 Fantasy receiver, and he's worth drafting as early as Round 4 in the majority of leagues. Johnson is a No. 3 Fantasy receiver at best, and he's better in PPR formats. I wouldn't draft Johnson before Round 7 or 8 in PPR leagues and likely Round 9 in standard leagues.

He could easily surprise us this season a la Steve Smith, who had a Top 20 Fantasy season in 2014 at 35. And Anquan Boldin was also a Top 24 Fantasy receiver in 2014 despite being 34.

More often than not, however, Johnson will leave us disappointed this season. He's worth drafting with a late-round pick, and hopefully there are enough positive moments like we saw in Week 17 last season to keep us happy.

Just understand he's no longer the same dominant receiver we've seen for most of his career. Those days are behind him, and it's unlikely he can recapture that sustained excellence again.


(cbssports.com)