I agree with deft, don't make decisions based on what they say, make decisions based on what they do. Corey will get 5-10 carries and Rudi will get about 20. Business as usual.
I'm with you paladyr, I dropped him earlier (because I had Dillon when he got "healthy" again), but luckily picked him back up when Dillon's car went boom. I work with everyone I'm in my league with and there were like 9 guys that tried to pick him up right after I did. They were pissed. I'm not starting Rudi this week, but I'm certainly not getting rid of him. Dillon's always been kind of a head case (not that I can blame him playing in Cincy all these years), but this year he's getting out of control.
"When I was a kid I thought I was going to be the starting centerfielder for the Boston Red Sox. Life sucks, get a f___ing helmet." --Dennis Leary
They both are intriguing plays this week. I'm sort of looking at this as a telling evaluation of the two backs. I've heard local hintings of Corey getting a legitimate opportunity to produce, with Rudi getting his share as well. For Rudi owners, it's defintely bad news, but he still has value. I think one will emerge as the better fantasy contributor before long, giving Rudi a slight edge, but Corey a very good possibility.
Rudi will get more carries than Dillion, at about a 65/35 clip. The "starter" however will probably be named Dillion on or around gameday, but don't let that get in the way of your decision to start Rudi over CD if you have that option.
If I had a good option I would bench Rudi, but the way he has been playing I think I will keep him in this week and see how he does. If he loses carries I will bench him next week but I wouldn't doubt him having a good game.
Mirage: Rudi Johnson will continue to be Cincy’s main ball carrier.
“Rudi, Rudi, Rudi!” That chant has gone down as one of the most sacred for the Clover Leafs and over the past four weeks it's made its way into the NFL. But now it's about to be shut up as quickly as it started by the big bad bully Corey Dillon.
That Johnson has infected the minds and hearts of NFL fans and fantasy players is lost on a man without a heart, like Dillon. So what if Rudi's helped the team while Dillon has been hurting from a sore groin the last two months to a 5-5 record? So what if he's been humble and just hands the ball to the ref after scoring instead of doing the "Machine Gun" or Sapp's "Pogo Stick" or the "Throat Slash" like so many others? And for the one that hurts the most: So what if he's your starting fantasy running back? It looks like it’s going to be running back by committee in Cincy.
Said coach Marvin Lewis on Wednesday, "We're experimenting with trying to come up with a way to put them both in there. Rudi deserves an opportunity to play as well. Obviously Corey's our starter. We'll look at that down the road, too.”
I was going to spout off on something like "what the crap is that all about?" but I'll let fantasy chatters write it for me. This is what was said Thursday in Fanball's free chat room that echoes my sentiments exactly:
alaint1976 said in all caps (which was nice): "HOW COULD MARV LEWIS LET DILLON EVEN TOUCH THE BALL AFTER HOW WELL RUDI HAS BEEN PLAYING?"
tom petty#1 responded: "dillon 6 years 1000 yards rudi two good games!!"
Touché
Then there was another remark comparing Dillon to Bettis, in that the Bus had been doing well for years and now he’s grounded. There’s only one problem with that. Bettis is 31 and Dillon is 29. He's in his prime, like Stephen Davis in Carolina, so why not ride out the season with Dillon?
Coach Marvin Lewis said Dillon has been gracious with Rudi's success, still we don't see him being as amiable as Emmitt Smith is with Marcel Shipp.
In an interview with Michael Irvin this week, Smith said he thought the starting job should belong to Shipp because of how well he has played. Everyone, except maybe Dillon and his agent, feels the same way about Rudi and the No. 1 running back gig in Cincy. Once again this is age vs. talent here, but it is also class over crass.
Dillon won't back down, not after he's been struggling, as tompetty#1 brilliantly pointed out in the chat, with the Bengals for six-plus years. Sorry, but Johnson enthusiasts will be stuck renting the movie if they want anything to cheer for Rudi in Cincinnati on Sunday, all thanks to the fantasy destroyer Dillon.
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by Ousmagic » Thu Nov 20, 2003 8:05 pm 
