Fantasy Football Debate: Adrian Peterson or Chris Johnson?

Added on Sep 03, 2010 by Barry in

NFL

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (1,819 total yards, 18 TDs)

Upside: There has been no running back in the NFL before last season that could even come close to Adrian Peterson’s production on the field as he was as good as it gets coming out of the backfield. This season the Minnesota Vikings will have their sights set on the Super Bowl once again and with Brett Favre’s receiving corps being depleted with Sidney Rice (hip) out at least six games and Percy Harvin dealing with severe migraines, the Vikings might go back to ground game to get the team going this year which could mean career numbers for AP.

Downside: Fumblitis! Plan and simple. Adrian Peterson struggles to hold on to the football and that could have been the main reason why the Minnesota Vikings weren’t playing in the Super Bowl last season because AP kept coughing it up.

I am sure that he has been working on changing his fatal flaw in the offseason, but those fumbles can put a dent in your fantasy numbers.

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans (2,509 total yards, 16 TDs)

Upside: There is no question that Chris Johnson was without a doubt the best running back in the NFL last season in terms of total yards and fantasy value, but this season he is looking surpass his breakout year by setting the goal of 2,500 yards rushing and becoming the league’s MVP.

Bold statement by a relatively new player in the league, but noble if he can actually pull off this feat.

Downside: With every team in the league seeing what Chris Johnson did last season, the Titans opponents this season will be solely concentrating on stopping the run this time around and with that being said head coach Jeff Fisher might look to Vince Young to get the passing game going.

No running back in NFL history has ever had back to back 2,000 yard seasons which means teams were ready for Hall of Famers like Erick Dickerson the season after having a breakout year.

Verdict: Adrian Peterson