Fantasy Alert: Adrian Peterson to Start vs. Cowboys Due to Derrius Guice Injury

A week after being a healthy scratch, Adrian Peterson will once again be Washington's starting running back. 

Head coach Jay Gruden provided that information while speaking about Derrius Guice, telling reporters "there is no [update]" and adding that Guice was "just getting checked out," according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 

It appears that Guice will be out for several weeks with a knee injury, though his status beyond that is unclear:

That makes Peterson an instant flex candidate for fantasy teams, especially since he might just be running with a bit of a chip on his shoulder after not even suiting up last week:

As the team's starter last year, Peterson was hit-or-miss for fantasy players. He posted solid numbers, rushing for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns, though he didn't add much value in the passing game in PPR  leagues, catching just 20 passes for another 208 yards and a score. 

And while he had seven games with 90 or more rushing yards, he also had seven games with less than 55 yards on the ground. His touchdown production also tended to come in bursts, with three games with two touchdowns, two games with one touchdown and 10 games without finding the end zone. 

His opponent in Week 2, the Dallas Cowboys, are solid defensively, though they did give up 139 yards from scrimmage on just 15 touches to Saquon Barkley in Week 1. Granted, Peterson no longer has the ability of a player like Barkley, who just might be the best running back in football. But there are yards to be had against the Cowboys.

Regardless, Peterson should be rostered in all formats and considered a solid flex option. He's likely to be a short-term option at running back—assuming Guice returns in a few weeks, as expected, Peterson will return to fantasy irrelevance. The fact that he was a healthy scratch in Week 1 is a pretty clear indication that Washington wants the majority of its backfield workload split between Guice and scatback Chris Thompson.

But while Guice is shelved, Peterson is a solid option. 

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