THis could be interesting and kind of makes sense. Wasn't it Shanny who said "Barlow is the best back in this draft" the year Barlow came out?
Not sure if that was Shanahan, may have been Walsh.anyhow,
It's Showtime
Player Spotlight: Kevan Barlow Two springs ago, Mike Shanahan -- who knows a thing or two about running backs -- tabbed Pittsburgh tailback Kevan Barlow as the best back in the 2001 draft. Despite Shanahan’s kind words, Barlow was the 80th player taken, going to the Niners toward the end of round three.
With Garrison Hearst trying to come back after two lost seasons, many of us assumed Barlow would be San Fran’s starter as a rookie. We were wrong. Ironically, Hearst regained his health and the starting job, while Barlow battled injuries of his own before giving the Niners a serious spark off the bench. Barlow did very well in limited duty, rushing for 512 yards and five scores on 125 carries, but he never lived up to Shanny’s tremendous tout.
What a difference an offseason makes.
After battling injuries and a mild weight problem during his rookie season, Barlow moved in with Terrell Owens during the offseason. The results are a leaner frame, more speed, and lots and lots of hype.
“I learned how to be a robot this summer,” Barlow told the Sacramento Bee about living and working out with T.O. in Atlanta. “The man is a workaholic, dude. He’s nonstop.”
In addition to working out like a madman, Barlow changed his eating habits. Basically, he had to give up junk food and sweets for egg whites and chicken breasts.
“The hardest part for him was staying away from the sweets,” Owens told the SacBee. “He’s a big cheater.”
“I think I’ll finish more runs this year, bust some long ones for touchdowns,” Barlow said of dropping his weight from the 240-range down to 235.
Coach Steve Mariucci has noticed a different Barlow as well.
“He’s leaner,” Mooch told the SacBee. “He’s been training in a different fashion since he’s been here. Last year, his quad bothered him. He’s going to be in a lot better shape. I think he’s stronger even though he’s lighter.”
And with Barlow ripped and ready, and Hearst feeling better after a rare healthy offseason, many around the Niners are wondering aloud if they could have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers.
“That’s my dream,” running backs coach Tom Rathman told the S.F. Chronicle. “If we could get two guys in the same season, 1,000-1,000 -- that’s one of my goals.”
Barlow will not start for the 2002 Niners unless Hearst suffers another injury. But that does not mean this chiseled kid cannot have a solid fantasy season. After racking up 759 total yards and five scores as a part-timer last season, it’s safe to assume that increased involvement in the offense gets Barlow over 1,000 total yards and close to 10 touchdowns. Remember, of Barlow’s four TD runs as a rookie, every one came from the one- or two-yard line, and he figures to get even more goal-line duty this year.
Plus, dig his potential if the 31-year-old Hearst, who has played 16 games only four times in nine pro seasons, goes down for an extended period of time. Barlow instantly would gain elite fantasy status.
When you merge the Hearst-injury angle with Barlow’s rare combo of size and speed and his current involvement in San Francisco’s offense (10-15 touches per game), he becomes more sleeper than handcuff. Think about it, given those touches and goal-line duty, Barlow is a borderline fantasy starter even though he isn’t an NFL starter. That rocks.
If you have the chance to draft Barlow in the seventh round (or late in the sixth), you better pull the trigger. I took him early in the seventh round of a recent draft, and the Hearst owner, who had planned on taking Barlow three picks later, still won’t talk to me. Oh well, I got my favorite running back sleeper and he took out his frustration on the Fred Taylor owner by taking sleeper/handcuff Stacey Mack.
Isn’t fantasy football great?