Poll: Will Chris Johnson finish the season as a top 8 RB?

[thepsychic]

He's already behind the curve after two bad outings. Do you think Chris Johnson plays well enough here on out and stay healthy enough to finish the season as a top 8 Fantasy Running Back this season?

[DraftDodger]

Can't see it happening, although my concern is more for his health (and the team spending the shortened off-season practicing without him) than his ability if he stays healthy. I think he'll have (at most) a couple of sell-high moments, and players will be kicking themselves for not getting rid of him. I base that as much on bad karma as on the lack of an off-season, so I'm a bit biased. I don't think Johnson was wrong to hold out, but the owner was foolish not to pay him when the holdout started, and now it's going to bite him (and the team) where the sun doesn't shine.

Backs who were in similar situations (Forte, Jackson) and who didn't hold out are at the top of their game.

The Titans have seen that they don't need to make Johnson the focal point in order to win, so I wouldn't count on them doing it.

[FatFoot]

Karma is not a basis for coming up with an opinion. No offense. The jury really is totally out on what CJ will be like this year. Week 3 should be a decent litmus. If he doesn't go off against this weak run d, there is reason for concern.

[thepsychic]

bumpage.

[DraftDodger]

Karma is not a basis for coming up with an opinion. No offense. The jury really is totally out on what CJ will be like this year. Week 3 should be a decent litmus. If he doesn't go off against this weak run d, there is reason for concern.

Of course karma is a "basis" for an opinion, as long as it's stated. If I just come out and say, "Dump CJ" with no explanation and somebody sees 5 footballs by my avatar and thinks, "I better do that, the guy has been around," then yeah I'd be doing somebody a disservice. Many (most?) players pray before a game, and often thank "God" or give credit to a "higher power" when they have success. When the majority of players believe that unseen forces affect gameplay, why should we think differently?

In this particular case, we don't have to invoke Buddhist concepts to apply "karma", which is the bringing on of inevitable results by your actions. When a player doesn't get the study and conditioning that he needs, bad things happen. Whether you blame the owner, the player, the agent, the walk-out/lock-out, or the universe, it all still adds up to a bad season (and high risk of injury) for Johnson. Everyone who didn't hold out is that much farther ahead of him in preparation.

So yeah, I'm saying "bad karma" is going to bite Johnson in the butt, even if the source of that karma is management. They've been saying the same thing since the lock-out lifted, just in different words.