Mancrush Monday! Alex's Pick

According to my calendar, it's Monday. Of course, my calendar is still on December of 2007, but it feels like a Monday to me. And you know what that means: wait, you don't? Oh, then let me explain. It's Mancrush Monday. (For the record, this wasn't my idea.) Ah yes, Mancrush Monday, the day in the week where we'll be talking about the player's we think will be very successful this year. What lucky player will have the honor of making the list this week? None other than Larry Johnson/RB Kansas City. I've looked at a great deal of rankings by other fantasy owner's, because I have that kind of time, and most people rank Johnson fairly low. Not I. We can't forget about his success in the past and his current opportunites which could lead to a lot of success in the present. There are two major pluses going for Johnson. 1. Supporting Cast: Or lack thereof. While that has been one of his negatives, I view it as a positive. It means the team will rely on Johnson even more. The Chiefs have a more than questionable passing game, but have one of the top runner's in the league. It only makes sense to give the rock to the best player's on the team, and I'll give you a hint, that certainly isn't Brodie Croyle. 2. Coaching: I think it's safe to say KC is one of the most run committed teams in the league. Head coach Herm Edwards is more conserative and favors the run to the pass. Then there's new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. If you remember, he helped the Steelers become one of the most effective rushing teams in the league when he was the Steelers' offensive coordinator in the late 90's. He made a power back like Jerome Bettis successful; LJ is a power back, too, albeit not as good as one as Bettis was. If there ever was a coaching tandem that would run the ball all game long, it's Herm Edwards and Chan Gailey. I honestly believe that Johnson will carry the ball at least 20 times a game. Why is that? I've shown that the Chiefs will likely be committed to the running game this year and there is also this stat. Last year, when Johnson had 20+ rushing attempts, KC went 4-0. When he didn't, they went 0-4. Chew on that crunchy nugget for awhile. Dig in; I'll get you a bib.