With the news that Larry Johnson will be the latest troubled player to set up shop in the Queen City comes the inevitable question: what’s his fantasy value for the rest of the season?
Larry Johnson To The Bengals: Fantasy Implications
Answer: not much. If Cedric Benson is out longer than expected, LJ could re-enter the world of fantasy relevance for a few weeks. But even in that scenario, he likely wouldn’t be the featured back; rather he would probably be splitting carries with Bernard Scott and Brian Leonard in some type of committee. And once Benson does return, Johnson should be little more than a handcuff, with little upside [Ed. note: Marvin Lewis confirms that Johnson will be a backup for Benson].
In other words, to paraphrase the immortal Rick Pitino, the Larry Johnson of 2005 is not walking through that door. After seasons of near-abusive carry totals, Johnson seems to have simply hit the proverbial wall; Shaun Alexander and Marshall Faulk were victims of the same phenomenon. Now, Johnson may be rejuvenated going from the the abysmal Chiefs to the contending Bengals, but given his historically bad season of 2.7 YPC -- the worst in NFL history! -- this seems like wishful thinking.
Ignore the name, and check the stats. Larry Johnson simply isn’t worth a fantasy roster spot.
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