I usually write about something to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to express my opinion on this Fantasy Football subject.
Not only did last weeks 27-21 loss to the Raiders take away all chances of the Vikings finishing above .500, they also lost their best player. Adrian Peterson, has been the meat of the Vikings offense for the past few years. Peterson has also been one of the top fantasy running backs. Before his high ankle sprain which will keep him out for multiple weeks, he was 3rd among running backs. With the fantasy leagues positioning for the playoffs, the loss of 20 plus fantasy points per week can mean everything.
Have you ever heard of Toby Gerhart? If you are not a devout Vikings fan, I doubt you have. If you want the best possible backup from the waiver wire to compensate for the Peterson loss, I suggest you do a little research.
Toby Gerhard, a consensus All-American running back at Stanford, was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the 51st overall pick. In 2009 Gerhart won the Doak Walker Award as the nations top college football running back, and was runner-up for the 2009 Heisman Trophy. He received 1276 points in the Heisman voting, finishing second to New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram, Jr., who received 1304 points; the 28-point margin was the closest vote in Heisman history. In his senior season at Stanford, Gerhart led all running backs in the nation in rushing yards, touchdown, and points scored, and setting several Pac 10 and school records. He holds the Stanford records for most rushing yards in a season (1,871), most touchdowns in a season (28), and most touchdowns in a career (44). In 2009 he also won the Jim Brown Trophy given to the NCAA’s top running back, and The Archie Griffin Award, which signifies college football’s Most Valuable Player. He has also won numerous other awards that I won’t get into at this point. I’ll let you do your own research.
What does this have to do with the Peterson injury and fantasy football? Gerhard, has been sitting in the shadows of Peterson and will start for the Vikings while Peterson is out. When Peterson missed Week 15 of last season, Gerhart rushed 16 times for 77 yards and added three catches for 18 yards in a loss to the Bears. This year, Gerhart has 24 attempts for 118 yards and a 4.9 yard per carry average, and 5 receptions for 61 yards, a 12.2 yards per catch average. The Vikings at 2-8 have nothing to loose by sitting Peterson for an extended period of time, and err on the side of caution with their franchise back. Expect Gerhart to get 15-20 touches per game as long as Peterson sits. He most likely will not put up Peterson fantasy numbers, but don’t go and fold your team just yet.