Juwan Johnson

Juwan Johnson enters the 2026 fantasy football season as one of the safer midrange tight end bets after a true breakout in 2025. He posted career highs with 77 catches for 889 yards and three touchdowns on 102 targets, then kept his role intact by restructuring his contract with New Orleans in March 2026.

The biggest reason to buy in is volume, because Johnson clearly became a major part of the Saints’ passing game and finished second on the team in targets behind Chris Olave. He also showed strong chemistry with quarterback Tyler Shough late in the year, which helped strengthen his outlook for 2026.

There are some limits to the ceiling. New Orleans added more pass-catchers this offseason, including first-round receiver Jordyn Tyson, and also signed Noah Fant, so Johnson is no longer operating in a truly thin target tree. That said, multiple fantasy outlets still view him as the Saints’ lead tight end and a strong borderline TE1, with projections around the low- to mid-60s in catches and roughly 750 yards.

For fantasy drafters, Johnson looks like a high-floor, low-end TE1 or strong TE2 who is especially valuable in PPR formats because his value is driven more by targets than touchdowns. The safest way to treat him is as a reliable weekly starter candidate with modest touchdown upside rather than a breakout star, but his 2025 production and secure role make him one of the more appealing tight end picks in 2026.

Updated 06/08/2026