About 3 weeks ago, one of the big fantasy football questions for fans nationwide was "when do I draft Rudi Johnson...the Cincinnati Bengals number 1 guy?" Quickly, that became, is Rudi healthy, is he going to play, and when he does play, is he even going to get all of the carries? Well...after the ending the saga know as "Operation Bengals Drop Rudi like a Bad Habit" that question easily answered itself...but a new question quickly arose.
The question, now, is..."who is going to get the Bengals carries?" The depth charts have Chris Perry listed as the starter, but his injury plagued past has you believe he will, at least, be splitting the carries with Kenny Watson, the man who filled in for an injured Rudi Johnson and showed he was first string material. All the NFL pundits say that Perry is the better draft pick, but will he get the red zone and the goal line carries? I don't know...Watson is bigger, tougher, more reliable, and has proved that he can handle the load when called on. In this man's opinion...you can't sleep on Watson.
And what about De De Dorsey? He has a monster year last year, and after a few minor injuries during the preseason, he should be fighting for more playing time. If he can come anywhere close to 8.7 yards per carry like he did last season, it would be tough to keep him on the bench...so is he worthy of a late round pick?
As a die hard Bengals fan ( I wear a tiger costume to the local Washington DC Bengals bar, The Bottom Line) I did all of my fantasy research, put together my mock drafts, and decided Perry was my man. I prepared to "steal" him in the mid to late rounds of my fantasy drafts...but in both of my leagues I was out smarted and lost him about two rounds before I was even planning on to take him. I quickly regrouped and decided this was not the end of the world, and I could still grab Watson (who should give a decent fantasy score in at least Week 1)...but to my dismay...I LOST WATSON IN ONE OF MY DRAFTS. I was out smarted AGAIN by John Q Public. I didn't even know Average Joe Fan knew who Kenny Watson was. I couldn't believe I lost my homer picks...devastating.
After I dried my tears, I started thinking more "big picture"...do people actually have respect for the Bengals running game? Not only did people outside of Cincinnati choose one RB from the unpredictable offense known as Bengaldom...but they chose two. It makes me feel like there is still a glimmer of hope that says after everything we (Bengals fans) went through during the offseason, not signing a DT, not drafting a DT, re-signing Pothead McArrest...I mean Chris Henry, cutting our "starting" RB, cutting the face of our team Willie Anderson (...seems like this list can go on forever) ...there is still a chance that the boys in Orange and Black can/will make us proud.
So before signing off...here are my final thoughts. If you haven't had your fantasy draft yet (unlikely but who knows...) DO NOT SLEEP ON Chris Perry and Kenny Watson. They both should provide you with sufficient carries and a few TDs. If you have already had your draft and either are still free agents...pick them up and at least keep them on your bench for future use.
Last but not least...even though they break our hearts every year...let's do what we always do and hope and pray for 10-6 and the playoffs. Cause...you just never know...i have no problem spending my February 1st in Tampa Bay...how about you?
Who Dey!!!
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