Warped view of LJ's performance thus far.
 

I havent seen anything in writing quite like this. Someone wrote in to S.I. and asked Ryan Houston, Special to SI.com, a fantasy question:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...bag/index.html

"
After seeing what happened during Week 1, would it be crazy for me to start Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson at the same time? I have read that they will alternate series' 2 to 1. I have Steven Jackson, Fred Taylor, Brandon Jacobs, and Lamar Gordon also. Does this seem like a bad idea?
-- Paul

"On our radio show we received calls about this all day. Everyone is very concerned what kind of impact Larry Johnson is going to make on Priest Holmes' numbers this season. I really didn't see anything that made me feel Larry Johnson is an every-week starter. Sure he had two TDs but how often is Larry Johnson going to turn nine carries into 110 yards and two TDs? Holmes was the focal point of the offense and will be as long as he can stay healthy."



Excuse me, but wouldnt THAT (getting 110 and 2TD's on 9 carries) be enough to show that a guy just MIGHT be decent enough to be an every week starter?? Who is this clown?

I'm betting it's al north. He thinks LJ should "prove himself " for three more years.

I agree with him. With Priest Holmes starting, Johnson's performance last week may be an aberration. Or it may not. If Priest hadn't taken himself out after his 35 yard run, he would've scored that TD, and his numbers would've been 120 yards and 2 TD, and Johnson's would've been 75 yards and a score. It just happened to go the way it did. It may not go that way all the time.

Right now, I'm not sure I'd start either of them. I really don't like RBbC situations in a fantasy setting. You can never be sure which RB will get the scores.

As a KC fan, on gameday, I love it.

I think what he means is, how often do running backs have 10+ YPC... and score on almost 30% of their carries...

That run in the 4th Q where he was running through guys, makes a spin move, and nearly makes it to the EZ. I watched it over and over. LJ is a great RB, this loser is a TOOL...

In my opinion there is no disputing the fact that LJ would be a starter ANYWHERE in this league if given the opportunity (and assuming the position isnt already filled by a stud). I foresee what has happened in St. Louis also happening in KC eventually: Priest will give up his starting spot to the young horse. I would feel just fine if we ended up having to lean on LJ if Priest couldnt play. This guy wasnt just giving fantasy advice.

I thought he was just giving fantasy advice. He didn't say anything about Johnson not being a good back, just that Priest was the starter and the focus of the offense. Which he is.

Yeah, because LJ didn't break off an obscene amount of yardage on a minimal amount of carries last year or anything. :rolleyes:

Maybe you haven't seen enough of LJ to know he is better than Priest but I have. LJ is bigger, stronger and faster. And may even have better moves. I know he has a spin move that Priest doesn't have.

This is such a horrible problem to have. I'm sure teams that struggle running the ball have boatloads of sympathy for us...

I'm starting to realize this. Priest is my favorite player, so its a little painful. Though, watching LJ run tends to ease the pain...
:)

I'm not so sure about that. LJ accelerates through the defense and makes it look easy. He outruns defenders' angles. He made that score look easy. He'll make a lot of scores look easy. I'm not 100% sold on the assertion that Priest would have scored that TD.

LJ's performance has been consistent. For anyone to suggest that last week was an abberation is to ignore his entire history.

Hold on there, thats ALOT to say right now. LJ is certainly a DIFFERENT runner than Priest but to try to say that LJ is flat out better than Priest is debateable at best. Priest can make people miss in ways that LJ cant, Priest can see/fit thru smaller holes than LJ can (at this point).

The question was not whether Priest is better than LJ or vice versa. The question was whether a fantasy player should start them both. Nowhere did I see any mention or question about Johnson other than to say that Priest is the starter (which he is, until the Chiefs decide he's not) and as such will get the carries and catches. 22 carries to 9 carries last week is proof of that, as is the stated plan to play Priest for 1 drive, Johnson for 2.

I'm not arguing that Priest is better than Johnson as a runningback. That's irrelevant. Priest is the starter, and will get more touches, hence more opportunities to score, in a fantasy setting.

If the Chiefs eventually give Johnson the lion's share of the carries, than all that reverses. I'm being pragmatic, not judgemental.

I agree. I've come to the conclusion that both do things better than the other one does, if that makes sense.

I believe LJ would have been tackled short of the goal line on Priest's TD last week (although technically Priest WAS).