Fantasy Football: 5 replacements for Adrian Peterson owners
After Adrian Peterson suffered a potentially serious knee injury last night, his fantasy owners may need to hit the waiver wire for a suitable replacement.
Ever since his rookie season in 2007, Adrian Peterson has been one of the best backs in the NFL. He’s led the league in rushing three times, including the 2012 season in which he rushed for 2,097 yards. He was nine yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 set in 1984. Peterson has also led the league in rushing TDs twice and broke the single-game rushing record with a 296-yard performance as a rookie. His dominance has been a blessing for the Minnesota Vikings and for anyone that’s owned him in a fantasy league.
Last night against the Green Bay Packers, Peterson was forced to leave the contest with an apparent knee injury. This was the last thing that his fantasy owners or Minnesota fans wanted to see. To make matters worse, Peterson was seen on crutches and with a brace around his right knee after the game. Unless his MRI proves otherwise, it appears that he suffered a serious injury and may miss a few games.
As a fantasy owner, it’s very important to plan ahead and have safety nets in place when disaster strikes. Peterson getting hurt qualifies as a disaster. Whether he misses one game or several, it would be wise to grab a replacement for him off of the waiver wire immediately. These are the top RBs that you should target.
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5. Fozzy Whittaker – Carolina Panthers
Whittaker took full advantage of his opportunity against the San Francisco 49ers this past weekend. Jonathan Stewart went down with a hamstring injury and Cameron Artis-Payne was a healthy scratch. As a result, the former Texas Longhorn carried the ball 16 times and rushed for 100 yards. He also caught three passes for 31 yards.
The Panthers will square off against the Minnesota Vikings next week. Minnesota boasts a stingy run defense, but Whittaker could still have some value in this matchup especially if it’s a PPR league. The Vikings are a bit more exploitable by running backs in the passing game so he could be a worthy gamble.
The unfortunate side of this is that we don’t know what Carolina’s backfield will look like if Stewart is officially out. They could play Artis-Payne and that would cut into Whittaker’s production. Additionally, Cam Newton could simply run the ball more as he is a proven dual threat at the QB position.
It’s almost impossible to replace the production that Peterson can bring on a weekly basis. However, if the next four backs on this list are gone, then Whittaker is probably your best option.
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4. Tevin Coleman – Atlanta Falcons
I’m pretty sure there are fantasy players that were burned by Tevin Coleman last year. After all, he was named the starter in 2015 and was supposed to be the lead back while Devonta Freeman played a complementary role. However, the opposite happened as Freeman had a breakout season and Coleman took a backseat. This led to Freeman becoming a coveted fantasy draft pick for 2016 as Tevin became an afterthought despite reports that he would be utilized more.
As of today, the 2016 season appears to be what the Falcons had in mind for last season. They’re clearly deploying an RBBC (running back by committee) approach and Coleman is benefiting from it. He is being used more in the passing game and has scored the only rushing TD for the Falcons so far. He’s a big play threat every time he touches the ball and appears much more comfortable in the offense.
Coleman’s ownership across all leagues is rising along with skepticism about Devonta’s potential impact this season. Fortunately, most people own Freeman, so Coleman may still be available. If no one has picked him up, then now would be an ideal time to strike. He won’t be around by Week 4.
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3. Kenyan Drake – Miami Dolphins
If you’re familiar with Arian Foster, then it should come as no surprise that he’s hurt. He was forced out of yesterday’s game with a groin injury and his status for Week 3 is unknown. As a result, the Miami Dolphins have two backs that they can lean on if Foster has to miss some time.
The first one is Jay Ajayi since he serves as the primary backup. However, Ajayi failed to impress in the 36 snaps he played against the New England Patriots Sunday. He fumbled on one play which led to a New England touchdown and averaged only 2.8 yards per carry. Therefore, despite his potential, Ajayi doesn’t seem as desirable when compared to the other back in Kenyan Drake.
Drake played in half the snaps Ajayi did and scored a touchdown. He possesses game-changing speed that makes him effective with minimal touches. Drake is also a much better receiver out of the backfield than Ajayi. This could lead to him getting more touches than Ajayi down the road and his versatility makes him a greater threat to score.
The waiver wire doesn’t tend to have replacements that are true bell-cow backs like Peterson. Therefore, it’s best to replace him with a player that has enough versatility to get nearly 100 total yards and a potential score. When it comes to that, Kenyan Drake is a better option than Jay Ajayi. He should still be available in most leagues regardless of scoring format.
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2. Charles Sims – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Seeing Charles Sims’ name on this list may be a surprise to some people. However, there’s a good chance he may have been dropped this week in your fantasy league. If this is the case, then he is a must-add, even if Doug Martin’s hamstring injury proves to be minor. Whoever cut Sims from their roster will most likely regret it by mid-season.
Fantasy players should not let what happened against the Arizona Cardinals deter them from targeting Sims. It was Arizona’s home opener after a Week 1 loss, and they boast an outstanding defense. It wasn’t a good situation for Tampa Bay to walk into and better days are clearly ahead of them.
Sims is a natural pass catcher and that’s always a bonus for any fantasy running back. Additionally, he has shown significant improvement with his running in between the tackles. If Doug Martin wasn’t on the Tampa Bay roster, then Sims would be a borderline RB1 option every week. He plays in a talented and young offense that will only improve as the season progresses. Therefore, and especially if the “Muscle Hamster” will miss some time, Charles is an excellent replacement for Peterson owners to target.
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1. Jerick McKinnon – Minnesota Vikings
Jerick McKinnon may end up being the most-added player in all of fantasy football this week and there’s good reason for it. Not only is he Peterson’s backup, but he may offer more versatility for Minnesota’s offense as well. There’s also a very good chance he’s waiting for you on the waiver wire.
McKinnon has proven to be an electric athlete and a capable runner between the tackles. He’s only registered 168 carries throughout his short career, but he’s averaging 4.9 yards per carry. He has also recorded 20-plus receptions in his two seasons of limited action. If Peterson ends up missing significant time, then McKinnon will have his opportunity to shine in the Vikings offense. Even if he doesn’t miss much time, Minnesota may choose to be extra cautious and give McKinnon extra snaps.
As stated earlier, it’s nearly impossible to replace Peterson’s production on a weekly basis. However, based on his athleticism and additional value in the passing game, McKinnon may be the best option to make it possible.
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