"Top Target" Adrian Peterson - Where will he end up, and what does that mean for fantasy f
- Jordan Johnson
- Mar 11, 2017
- 4 min read
Former fantasy staple Adrian Peterson will be testing the free agency market this week.
Peterson has - strangely through word of his father - expressed interest in joining the ranks of the Seattle Seahawks, the Oakland Raiders, and reigning Super Bowl champs, the New England Patriots.
There’s only one real roadblock in all this: none of these teams seems to be even remotely interested.
Sources close to both the Seahawks and Raiders have indicated that interest lies more with Peterson himself than with the actual teams, according to CBS Sports. As for the Patriots possibility, despite Peterson’s potential willingness to take a pay cut to play for a Super Bowl winner, NFL Network’s Mike Garafalo sums it up pretty well.
For the sake of argument, let’s pretend AP is as coveted as he seemingly believes himself to be. He’s coming off a serious knee injury, limiting him to only three games amounting to 72 total yards, 1.9 yards per carry, and zero trips to the end zone. Still, he’s only two years removed from 1,485 rushing yards and 11 scores. What would all this mean for his 2017 fantasy outlook?
Here are my top potential destinations for AP:
1. Houston Texans - Houston became the laughing stock of the entire sports world by signing Brock Osweiler to an elite QB contract. On Thursday, the Texans did themselves a huge favor by shipping Osweiler to Cleveland, along with a pair of draft picks. With freed up cap space, just about everyone expects Houston to shoot for Tony Romo, and that would make Houston a big shiny sparkling gem in the eyes of Adrian Peterson. The offense struggled mightily in doing just about everything, especially getting the ball to one of the best wideouts in the league. The Texans’ elite defense led them to a postseason berth and victory over a 12-4 Raiders squad. Let’s not forget that JJ Watt wasn’t even playing, and it’s looking more and more likely that he’ll be ready to go for 2017. Peterson is from Texas and has said he’d love to play in his home state, so if they can make themselves more of a contender by acquiring Romo, then Peterson will almost certainly be ready to jump on board. Lamar Miller is the only back of note on the roster, but I can see Peterson pushing him aside to become the power runner Romo had in 2014 with DeMarco Murray. Miller would be around as a nice 3rd-down back, but I’d imagine the show to be mostly AP’s if he could stay healthy.
2. New England Patriots - The champs will likely be without fantasy superstar LeGarrette Blount for the 2017 season. Blount ran for 1,161 yards and a mouth-watering 18 scores, and Adrian Peterson would conceivably slot in very well to fill that void (and potentially at a reduced cost). The Pats approach to the rushing attack is pretty straightforward, and that’s exactly the kind of style Peterson has thrived on throughout his time in Minnesota. There’s not much competition in that backfield, so if the two parties can work out a deal, this could very well be an opportunity for AP to prove the doubters wrong. Belichik (or is it Brady?) has a knack for revitalizing veteran careers (think back to Randy Moss, Corey Dillon, and of course LeGarrette Blount), so this could be exactly what the doctor ordered.
3. New York Giants - The backfield situation in New York is not pretty. Rashad Jennings was released, and their next best option will be sophomore Paul Perkins, who wasn’t overly impressive in his rookie campaign. The Giants haven’t been the most consistent team in recent years, but more often than not they find a way to make some noise. Say what you will about Eli, he’s got quite the postseason resume, and I can see a healthy Peterson being the workhorse back needed to take some pressure off the passing game.
4. Green Bay Packers - Favre to Minnesota, and now Peterson to Green Bay?! The Cheeseheads were a game away from the Super Bowl last season, but they will be in sore need of a running back this season. Despite the fact that the Pack’s offense is built to let Aaron Rodgers shine, Peterson can still provide much-needed stability for the running game. However, Rodgers operates mostly out of the shotgun, and that’s something Peterson has next to no experience with. I wouldn’t count on much from AP if he winds up at Lambeau.
5. Seattle Seahawks - Seattle is another shotgun-heavy team, but offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell spent four years with the Vikings. Peterson rushed for well over 1,000 yards and tallied double-digit touchdowns in all four years in Bevell’s system. On the flip side, he would likely split time with Thomas Rawls, hurting his fantasy value. Not to mention that offensive line...
6. Oakland Raiders - Peterson joining the Raiders would be an interesting scenario. Oakland had a very surprising 12-4 season last year, but it was abruptly ended thanks to being forced to start a third-string quarterback in the Wild Card matchup with Houston. The Raiders have a couple other mouths to feed in the backfield, but Peterson could potentially earn lots of play time running behind one of the best O-lines in the game.
No matter where he ends up, health will be the biggest factor. At this point, I'm skeptical at best that he can live up to the household name status he once held. He could be a bargain pick if he lands into a system that suits his style, but he's entering the dreaded age 32 season, coming off another major knee injury, and is no stranger to off-the-field issues. Tread with caution.
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