Adrian Peterson Injury: Updates on Vikings RB's Week 15 Status and Fantasy Value

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson missed his third straight game on Sunday with a lingering ankle injury. He did travel with his teammates to face the Detroit Lions, but a determination was made after warm-ups to hold him out at least until Week 15 vs. the New Orleans Saints.

Keep checking back to this page throughout the week for updates on Peterson's availability and potential fantasy value during another pivotal playoff week.

UPDATE: Sunday, Dec. 18 at 11:50 a.m. EDT by Adam Wells

Fantasy owners, your three-week long nightmare is over. That's right, Adrian Peterson is back and, hopefully, better than ever as the Vikings take on the Saints.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen tweeted the news, along with an extra little tidbit for Vikings fans worried about seeing more of Joe Webb. 

While Peterson may not be 100 percent, he is still a must-start for your fantasy team this week. Even if he is just at 80-85 percent, he will still be a point machine.

UPDATE: Saturday, Dec. 17, 11:30 a.m. ET by Donald Wood

Fantasy owners who are still left in the playoffs after watching Adrian Peterson sit out the regular fantasy season finale and the first week of the playoffs have received the best possible news there could be. AP is probable for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

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"There were some runs [Thursday] that looked like the Adrian that we're accustomed to seeing. Last week, they were few and far between. But [Thursday], for sure there were a couple of bursts along the sideline where he had to cut against the grain. We didn't see that last week. If he has another good day [Friday], we should be in the clear. As long as he finishes good [Friday], we should be in great shape."

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The Saints defense is mediocre at best and there is no better way for the injured AP to get back in the lineup than against a JV defense. I would expect 100 yards and a TD as long as he doesn’t re-aggravate the injury.

UPDATE: Thursday, Dec. 15 at 2:02 p.m. EST by Michael Dixon

Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that it looks like Peterson will play against the Saints. 

From a fantasy perspective, this is great news. Now that the playoffs are in full force, Peterson is a must play. The Vikings need to keep the New Orleans offense off of the field. That means a heavy dose of Peterson.

Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 12:43 p.m. ET by Eric Bowman

Tom Pelissero covers the Vikings for ESPN1500.com, and he tweeted the latest on Peterson's status. 

This is a good sign for the Vikings as they prepare to host the New Orleans Saints this Sunday. Both Ponder and Peterson will be needed if Minnesota wants any shot at pulling the upset. 

As far as fantasy football goes, you have to be cautious with Peterson this week. While it's great that he is practicing right now, there's no guarantee he plays on Sunday. 

Peterson is expected to, but there's always the chance he gets hurt again. Since it's playoff time in fantasy football, every move you make is crucial.

If he's active and ready to rock on Sunday I would start him, but it depends on who else you have at running back. 

If you need any help, be sure to leave a comment with you question and we'll give you further advice on whether you should start Peterson or any of your other running backs. 

Monday, Dec. 12 at 1:55 p.m. ET

While reporting that Peterson was going to miss yesterday's game, NFL.com's Jason La Canfora also had a positive outlook about the superstar's chances of returning next weekend. It's also a good sign that he came so close to playing against the Lions.

The biggest concern here is surrounding circumstances. With Minnesota basically playing for pride at this point, the team's coaching staff is going to exercise caution with Peterson. There's no use risking a more serious injury for no reason. That said, if he's 100 percent and wants to play, he'll be in there.