Fantasy Owners: Do Not Pass up on AP!

Across the country, fantasy football has become as big of a sport as football itself. This season, the notorious question has started to make its way through fantasy owners once again, “whom should they pick first overall?”

It’s a question for the ages, never having a clear-cut answer and always leaving remorse in the owner who made the pick. No one will ever know whom exactly to select with that all-powerful first overall pick. Nevertheless, having it will always be the biggest desire for all fantasy owners.

This season, the question is once again floating through everyone’s minds. However, the answer this year may be easier than it seems.

It seems like there’s no question that Adrian Peterson should be the consensus number one fantasy pick this season.  I know what you’re think, he’s coming off of a suspension and hasn’t seen playing time in 11 months, and he’s now 30-years-old, but Adrian Peterson isn’t close to done. Look at it like this, AP has had 11 months to get into the best shape of his life, and he’s done that. Watching him in training camp, you can see how he’s slimmed down to become more elusive while still maintaining his muscle. Returning to camp at 220 lbs, Peterson has dropped 10 pounds since August, 2014.  

The thing that you must remember about Peterson is that he’s motivated. He’s possibly the most motivated player in the NFL. When he went down with an ankle injury in 2011, he spent his entire offseason becoming more dynamic and prepared than ever before. It’s not often that a player rushes for over 2,000 yards, 2,097 yards to be exact, in a single season, especially the season after an ankle injury, but Peterson did and he did it with ease.

If his bounce back season isn’t enough, how about the fact that since entering the NFL, Peterson has only rushed for under 1,000 yards twice. Yes, you guessed right. Those two lonely seasons were his 2011 ankle injury where he rushed for 970 yards in 12 games and his 2014 season in which he only played in Week 1. What about that 2014 was the only season he’s never reached 10 touchdowns in a single season. Do you have enough reasons yet?

You can never doubt the guy. Every time you think he may be down, he comes right back, bigger and better than ever before. So what’s going to be different this time? You can argue that he’s 30 and most running backs begin to slow down after 30, but he’s not most running backs. No, he doesn’t have another five years left in him, but he’s got at least one and it’s going to be one for the ages.

Just watch him. Adrian Peterson has shown to be nothing but a freak of nature his entire career and his play at camp this summer has been nothing shy of phenomenal. Some have argued that he’s one of the best running backs to ever put on an NFL jersey and that may be true. I don’t know about you, but I’d take a risk on one of the best to ever play. So, when you’re sitting at that table with the first pick in the draft, remember, he’s done it before and he’s going to do it again.