Fantasy Football: Why Adrian Peterson Should Be the No. 1 Pick in 2011 Drafts

The Vikings were terrible last year.

Brett Favre was nowhere near the level he played at in his first year with the Purple. Sidney Rice wasn’t Sidney Rice. Percy Harvin and Visanthe Shiancoe were in the same boat. Jared Allen and Kevin Williams weren’t even as dominant.

It was like it was a completely different team...except for Adrian Peterson.

Peterson, who was much maligned for his fumbling issues, lost just one fumble, and it was caused by his own teammate, Bernard Berrian. AP ran for a career-low 1,298 yards, but nobody should be complaining about nearly 1,300 rushing yards. He added 36 catches for 341 yards. He ran for 12 touchdowns and caught another one.

Quite simply, Adrian Peterson had a typical year for him.

What exactly is a typical year for No. 28? In his four years, All Day has averaged 1,445.5 yards per season at 4.8 yards per carry. Last year Peterson posted a 4.6 yards per carry clip. When you ask a Vikings fan what the most pressing need after quarterback is, the majority will tell you it is the offensive line.

Yes, Peterson compiled 1,639 yards of total offense and a top 10 yards-per-carry rank. AP finished with 13 total touchdowns, which is nothing new to him. He has averaged 13.5 touchdowns since setting the league ablaze as a rookie out of Oklahoma in 2007.

I know he only had five 100-yard games last year, but he scored in nine of the 15 games he played. He has 1,198 career carries, but he’ll be just 26 when (if) the season starts. One could argue that he inflicts more pain on would-be tacklers than vice-versa.

My guess is that when Peterson does decline, it will be a rapid one. His body will probably give way because he is such a violent runner. You may not be prepared for his fall, but I don’t see it happening now.

Peterson works too hard. He needed to improve at catching the ball out of the backfield, and so he went for 43 receptions the next year. He had to solve his fumbling woes, and he lost just one fumble in Week 16. Every year Peterson comes back a better player. This year shouldn’t be the exception.

You want to draft Arian Foster? I can’t fault you, but do note that he has one spectacular year under his belt. Peterson has four. Chris Johnson, Jamaal Charles, etc.?

I won’t argue with you, but nobody has the track record that All Day does. If you’re lucky enough to win the first pick in your fantasy draft, remember the guy who has averaged 1,738 total yards and 13.5 touchdowns for the past four seasons.

Also check out

• Why Michael Vick Should be the No. 1 Fantasy Pick
• Why Arian Foster Should be the No. 1 Fantasy Pick