Fantasy Football 2015: Julius Thomas, Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch Worries

Julius Thomas, Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch are three of the biggest names and three of the most valuable players in fantasy football. They are also all in serious danger of seeing their fantasy value drop quicker than a UFC fighter getting punched in the face by Jon Jones.

Thomas, Peterson and Lynch are giving their fantasy owners different reasons to be nervous. What transpires for each of them this offseason could make their status change from certain keeper to someone you can no longer build your fantasy team around.

Here is a look at each player and his unique situation that could really take a toll on his fantasy value this offseason:

Julius Thomas, Denver Broncos (TE)

Thomas is coming off back-to-back 12-touchdown seasons that cemented him as one of the top tight ends in fantasy football. He can stretch the field down the seams, he can make catches in traffic and he is a matchup nightmare in the red zone and in the end zone.

That being said, Thomas has not proven that he can be a 12-TD terror if Peyton Manning is not the quarterback throwing him the ball. Thomas has had the luxury the last two years of not only having Manning as his passer but also having Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and other receivers make it virtually impossible for defenses to double-team him.

The bottom line is that if Thomas stays in Denver, either by being franchise tagged or by re-signing a long-term contract, his fantasy value will stay intact, and he will remain one the top three tight ends in fantasy football.

Several media reports, including this one from the Denver Post, state that it appears Manning wants to return. If he does, Thomas will be in prime position to duplicate the nice numbers he posted for fantasy owners in 2013 and 2014.

Thomas cannot be ranked ahead of New England’s Rob Gronkowski or New Orleans’ Jimmy Graham, but he can outperform any other player at the position as long as Manning is throwing to him AND he stays healthy. Thomas needs to stop rolling his ankles like a baker rolls dough.

But if Thomas takes his talents elsewhere so he can make more millions, then his fantasy value is going to suffer, unless he ends up in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers. You think Thomas can score a dozen touchdowns with Johnny Manziel scrambling around in Cleveland? How about with the young and erratic Blake Bortles in Jacksonville?

Thomas has to be kept in keeper and dynasty leagues unless he signs a deal with the CFL, but if he does not come back to Denver fantasy owners should think hard about trading him, because his touchdown total probably will not be the same without Manning gunning at him.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (RB)

Have you been stubbornly holding onto A.P. all this time with the hope he would return in 2015 and be the 1,300-yard, 12-TD runner he always has been? Well, maybe you should have saved that roster spot in your dynasty or keeper league for another player who could have helped you win some money last year instead of praying Peterson could help you win this upcoming year.

It's not like Minnesota is stocked at running back like a florist is with red roses around Valentine’s Day. Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata are not the next coming of Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, and they would not keep Peterson from starting if everything was normal.

But Peterson’s situation is so far from normal. After a year off due to child abuse charges and nearing 30 years old, an age where most running backs retire, are released or are used as reserves, Peterson is as much of a sure thing as Lynch is when a microphone is placed in front of him.

If Peterson stays in Minnesota, he will be the feature back and could rush for 1,300 yards and a dozen touchdowns. The offense would likely be tailored around his talents like it always has been, and unless McKinnon steps up his game there really is no threat to Peterson’s touches.

But if Peterson is released it will all depend on the scenario. He has never had to share time or split carries with another back before, but since most NFL teams like slicing up the workload like pizza these days, there are not many places where Peterson could step right in and garner 20-25 touches per week. Peterson has “risk” written all over his helmet.

Plus, with most NFL teams not known now for spending large chunks of their salary cap space on running backs, a team other than the Vikings is unlikely to cough up $7-10 million per year on a running back in his thirties.

Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks (RB)

While Lynch has been the headache no aspirin can cure for the Seahawks brass and the media, he has been a godsend for fantasy owners the past four years, as he has rushed for over 1,200 yards and scored double-digit touchdowns in each season.

But Lynch’s standing as a surefire first-round pick in 2015 fantasy drafts is as up in the air as Cleveland’s quarterback situation, as no one seems to know if Lynch wants to play anymore. There are countless reports that he is contemplating retirement and that Seattle thinks it is a possibility, including this latest one from ESPN.

So while Seattle and the fantasy football world wait on Lynch’s decision on his football future, Lynch owners are stuck. Do they try to trade him before he retires? Do they stick with him and hope he doesn’t? Do they send him several boxes of Skittles to bribe him into suiting up for one more season?

The market for Lynch in fantasy leagues is probably quiet. Not many people would want to trade for him until he officially announces his intentions. If you are a gambler and think he is coming back and want to take advantage of an owner in your league who is worried about him retiring, maybe you can get Lynch for a low price and hold onto him in your keeper league.

But if you are a Lynch owner and he is one of the cornerstones of your fantasy squad, you have to be sweating like the New England Patriots do when they watch Rob Gronkowski dance. I personally think he is not going to leave the game and leave so many millions on the table, but stranger things have happened. Barry Sanders’ fantasy owners can tell you all about it.