Fantasy Football: Adrian Peterson Football Jabber

Minnesota Vikings Running Back, Adrian Peterson, has been a consistent fantasy football stud since entering the league in 2007.  Since his breakout rookie season, he has been seen as one of the top running backs to snag on your fantasy football draft day. Now that Brett Favre has confirmed his return, can Peterson continue his reign near the top of draft boards?

Many see Favre as a key to Peterson’s worth. Many also forget that Peterson was doing his thing before Favre got there and would have continued if he didn’t return. While Favre does relieve some pressure from an opposing defense, Peterson would have likely gained even more carries and would still have his offensive line.

While Peterson’s carries went down in 2009 (still over 300), his receptions more than doubled from the previous season, adding value in leagues that reward Points Per Reception (PPR). In 2010, the man that took regular receptions from Peterson is gone as Chester Taylor has departed for Chicago. We should see Peterson more on third down situations.

Are you wondering why we have not mentioned fumbles yet? Yes, Peterson appears to be a fumbling machine. He does make up for it in points and he won’t likely see much time on the bench other than a wakeup call for a drive or two.

For example, his only multiple fumble game (two against the Lions) last season, he ran for 133 yards and two TDs. While his fumbling gained concerns in the playoffs because the magnitude of the game, those things don’t matter in fantasy football. If you want to shy away because of fumbles, we will happily take him off your hands.

One thing you will notice in his numbers is how his yards per carry have went down each season. Don’t let that bother you, you are thinking too much. Adrian Peterson is one of the safe picks in the first round, from top to bottom.

Currently, Peterson is landing an Average Draft Position of the second pick in the first round. He has landed anywhere from the first pick overall to the sixth pick (would like to be in that league).

At this time, Peterson ranks number two in our Running Back Predraft Rankings.

Year	Gm	Rush Att	Rush yds	Avg	Rush TD	Rec	Rec yds	Avg	Rec TD	Fan pts
2009	16	314	1383	4.4	18	43	436	10.1	0	289.9
2008	16	363	1760	4.8	10	21	125	6.0	0	248.5
2007	14	238	1341	5.6	12	19	268	14.1	1	232.9