Chris Johnson is walking a dangerous road.

The shifty Titans running back risked alienating his fans with a preseason holdout, only to sign a deal that made him the highest paid running back in the NFL. Fantasy owners who drafted him or spent a hefty portion of their auction money breathed a sigh of relief.

That relief lasted all of one week, until the season actually started. The consensus top-three fantasy pick was shut down by the vaunted Jaguars defense (Kidding. The Jags suck more than Transformers 2) in Week One, the Ravens in Week Two and the Broncos last Sunday. In standard scoring leagues, Johnson’s scored 4, 5 and 7 points in his first three games.

If Johnson doesn’t break out of his funk, he is in danger of becoming one of the biggest fantasy busts in recent memory. “CJ2K” is still riding the wave from his breakout season two years ago, when he totaled 2,509 yards rushing and receiving and scored 16 touchdowns. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry and 10.1 yards per reception that year. His longest carry went for 91 yards.

In 2010, Johnson totaled exactly 900 fewer yards from scrimmage. His yards per carry dropped to 4.3. He scored four fewer touchdowns.

This year? Johnson is a part of the league’s worst rushing attack. His yards per carry have decreased by more than half, down to 2.1. He is more foreign to the end zone than Charlie Sheen is to sobriety. Next thing you know, you’ll be watching Jeffrey Ross and Mike Tyson roast your first round pick on Comedy Central.

Johnson’s holdout could be the culprit behind his lackluster start. Or maybe he’s struggling with first-year head coach Mike Munchak’s system after spending his entire career with Jeff Fisher at the helm. Whatever the reason, Johnson must prove he can produce numbers worthy of a first round pick, and soon, for fantasy owners to trust him as a starter for the rest of the season. Which is why, for probably the only time ever, you’ll find a consensus first round pick leading off my start list.

(Reminder: I usually won’t be listing obvious players under each start or sit category. For example, Aaron Rodgers against Denver is obviously a must-start, but you won’t find him in my start list. Also, remember to check out my Week Three/Four pickups column from yesterday if you missed it.)

*Start*

Chris Johnson, RB, Titans: I covered this more extensively above, but I’m giving Johnson one last chance to prove he belongs at being an every-week starter. Particularly against a weak Cleveland run defense and with Titans No. 1 receiver, Kenny Britt, out for the year, Johnson should come up with a big performance.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Bills: If this looks familiar, it should, as I promoted starting Fitzy in last week’s start/sit column, yet he was started in only 24 percent of ESPN leagues. Buffalo’s impressive comeback victory will undoubtedly open eyes to Fitzpatrick’s abilities. Some Fitzpatrick owners might be scared of starting him this week, however, as he faces a Bengals pass defense ranked ninth in fantasy points given up to opposing quarterbacks. Don’t be. In its first three games, Cincinnati has faced a murderer’s row of quarterbacks: Colt McCoy, Kyle Orton and Alex Smith. I know, three future Hall-of-Famers. Give Fitzpatrick the green light, sit back and enjoy the show.

Tim Hightower, RB, Redskins: While he was started in only 58 percent of leagues last week, Hightower has quietly flown under the radar this season. He has produced double-digit fantasy points in all three games, and his pass-catching ability allows him to pick up valuable points even when the run game is stymied (think a poor man’s Ray Rice). This week, Hightower gets a juicy matchup against a St. Louis defense Baltimore carved like a Thanksgiving turkey last week.

Anquan Boldin, WR, Ravens: Torrey Smith’s performance last Sunday will draw attention from Rex Ryan and the Jets defense this week, giving Boldin more freedom in the middle of the field. With the way the Jets apply pressure on the quarterback, Joe Flacco will be forced to get the ball out of his quickly on the short routes Boldin runs so well.

*Sit*

Cam Newton, QB, Panthers: There is no denying Newton’s talent after the No. 1 pick threw for 400 yards twice to start his career. But he came back to Earth last Sunday, throwing for just 158 yards and a touchdown while picking up his first win in monsoon-like weather. Expect numbers closer to last week’s, as Newton takes on Brian Urlacher and a Chicago defense renowned for frustrating quarterbacks by testing their patience and forcing them to make short, accurate throws.

Reggie Wayne, WR, Colts: To clarify: this is not a vote of confidence against Wayne. He may be getting older and might have lost a half step. This is totally and completely reflective of my absolute lack of confidence in Curtis Painter.

Quick tangent: Seriously though, how bad do you feel for Reggie? He has to be frustrated. The guy spent his entire NFL career catching passes from Peyton Manning, one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the game. Then, with Manning’s neck not healing like it should, the Colts go out and sign 58-year-old Kerry Collins (What? He’s only 38? The balding and grey beard fooled me), who not surprisingly tanks before suffering a concussion last Sunday. Next, Indianapolis tosses out Painter, whose 5-for-11 performance actually improved his career passing percentage by just under five percent. Going from Manning to Painter has to be the worst transition from outstanding quarterback to abysmal quarterback in the history of the NFL. It’d be like going from flying your own personal jet across the country to being dragged by a horse. The good news: The Colts just signed Dan Orlovsky, former star quarterback for the Lions, to the active roster. Savior!

Actually, the only way Wayne could be more frustrated is if he spent a first-round draft pick on Chris Johnson in his fantasy league.

_Daniel is a junior in Media. Contact him for fantasy/relationship advice at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @danielmillermc._