Fantasy Football Challenge - Football Fanatics Articles Archive

Enclosed in this archive is every bit of the action and updates that occurred in October 2003 within the world of fantasy football. You may want to read these articles for research on players in the coming year, or just check to see if we were way off base with our reporting. Whatever the reason, it's all here for your enjoyment.

Fantasy Football Challenge - October 2003 Fantasy Football Articles

Fantasy Football Challenge - October 2003 Articles Archives

67 of 393

''Sit on the bench, Tiki, and don''t play this series,''" Barber said. "That''s the only way it''s going to happen. Otherwise, if he gives me the option, I''m going to say I''m OK."

Studesville and Fassel discussed ways to keep track of Barber''s workload and agreed they must forcibly guide the veteran to the bench once in a while.

"What''s going to happen is we''re going to tell him he''s out," Studesville said. "That''s the only way we''re going to do it because he''ll never say he wants to come out, and if I keep asking him he won''t tell me anything. So I''m going to tell him, ''You''re done for a minute, get your rest, and here we go.''"

Fassel, also the team''s offensive coordinator and play-caller, said he knew this was about the time of year he''d have to force himself to pace Barber. After keeping Barber healthy and rested through training camp, Fassel said he eyed the Week 4 bye while allowing himself to use Barber so extensively over the first three weeks. But there are no more rests in sight, which is why Fassel said "we''re going to start pulling him out a little bit and rotating him."

And as Sullivan emphasized, when that carousel starts, Joyce remains the next passenger in line.

Fassel made a decisive public commitment to using the second-year free agent out of James Madison University behind Barber, pushing the relative unknown ahead of free agent acquisition and former Pro Bowler Dorsey Levens and one-time first-round draft pick Ron Dayne. So far, Joyce has yet to get a carry and has only been in on offensive plays when Barber left games briefly with injuries. Last season, Dayne was used more extensively as the primary backup, taking 125 carries and often spelling Barber for an entire series.

"It''s kind of strange because I care about Tiki and I see him in there taking it like that," Dayne said. "It''s like sometimes he feels like he can''t come out. They''ve kind of got him in that type of situation where it looks like he can''t come out. Or when he comes out, they''re trying to rush him back in. I kind

67 of 393 pages. Go to page:

Go to October 2003 Fantasy Football Articles Directory Page