The old Chris Johnson will return this season. After finishing first and fourth in the NFL in rushing in 2009 and 2010 respectively, Johnson dipped to 14th in 2011. He had what was considered a down year for him. He rushed for only 1047 yards with four touchdowns. There were a few factors in his decline, but none bigger than the holdout that saw him miss most of training camp. Johnson didn't look to be in optimal shape until Week 8 last year. This season, that won't be an issue. Johnson is locked and loaded for the Titans. Tennessee is going with a young quarterback in Jake Locker as the starter, and that means the Titans will be depending heavily on the run game. Johnson will see his share of carries and passes out of the backfield. While he may not rush for 2000 yards, as he did in 2009, it'd be a good bet to take the over on whether he'll rush for 400 yards more this year than he did last season. Barring injury, air max 2012he will be one of the five best fantasy running backs in the NFL. Here are a few other stars that will make bigger impacts this season. Michael Vick - Philadelphia Eagles Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images Vick didn't set the world on fire in 2011 as some might have expected. The "Dream Team" Vince Young spoke about never really materialized. Vick had a decent year with 3303 yards passing and 18 touchdowns. If he stays healthy he'll be better than that this season. With Vick, that is always the biggest concern. The injuries clouded what was the continued evolution of Vick as a complete QB. Yes, he's still blazing fast, but the passing yard total from 2011 was a career-high for him. He did that in only 13 games of action. If he doesn't spend significant time injured, this will be Vick's best statistical season. He has a do-it-all weapon at running back in LeSean McCoy as well as speedy receivers in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, but the key is obviously health. Taking Vick early is probably too much of a gamble, but taking him as your second QB would pay off this season. Julio Jones - Atlanta Falcons Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images I love A.J. Green, but Jones was the most impressive rookie wide receiver in the NFL in 2011. He had to share opportunities with Roddy White.Even still, the Atlanta Falcons just missed being only the third team to have two receivers with over 1000 yards last year. Jones had 956 yards receiving, and he's only getting better. As the Falcons lean more and more on the passing attack, Jones should get even more opportunities. Nothing but injuries can keep Jones from the 1000-yard plateau this season, and at 6'3" 220 pounds, he should be the Falcons' top red-zone target. I'm predicting 1200 yards and 14 TDs for Jones in 2012. Follow Brian Mazique and Franchiseplay on YouTube and Twitter for reactions, analysis and news from the world of sports and sports video games. Subscribe on YouTube Follow @BrianMazique Follow @franchiseplay
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