Chiefs to deactivate RB Larry Johnson for Week 7

October 16, 2008 @ 00:00:00

By Bryce McRae
Edited by KFFL Staff

Adam Teicher, of The Kansas City Star, reports Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson will be inactive for the team's Week 7 game. The move comes after Johnson was late for meetings and other team obligations.

Johnson has had an erratic campaign after his injury-plagued 2007 season. He managed just 96 yards on 34 carries (2.8 yards per carry) in the first two games before blowing up in Weeks 3 and 4. He ran for 121 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 before exploding for 198 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries against the Denver Broncos in Week 4.

Edwards has said Johnson has been practicing, which means he should be in good shape if he is back for Week 8. Johnson is not expected to miss any additional games via team discipline, according to Edwards. The team is coming off their bye so he will have had three weeks between games.

Running back Kolby Smith is expected to start the team's Week 7 game, but he is expected to split the workload with running back Jamaal Charles. For the season, Charles has run the ball 21 times for 98 yards compared to just four carries for 19 yards from Smith. Rookie back Dantrell Savage has one carry for no yards.

In the receiving game, Charles has been the bigger threat with 12 receptions for 68 yards while Smith has six receptions for 32 yards. Savage does not have a reception this year.

From a fantasy football perspective, the back to pick up would be Smith in standard leagues because the team plans to start him. He started six games last year in place of Johnson, rushing for 388 yards and two touchdowns on 102 carries. Smith would be the better option around the goal line as well.

However, those owners in point-per-reception leagues should take a look at Charles, who is the better receiver.

Smith and Charles might not have much long-term value as Johnson will not be suspended by the Chiefs and is not expected to miss any more games. As such, you should only pick up either of the two if you own Johnson or are struggling to field a full contingent of starting backs - the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles are all on a bye this week.

Savage is not worth owning in any fantasy leagues.

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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