ESPN has released their fantasy football rankings and projections for the upcoming season. ESPN’s band of experts ranks Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson as the top fantasy player going into the 2009 campaign. “‘All Day’ has the off-the-charts size/speed combination and knack for massive, game-changing plays that no current NFL running back can match,” their team wrote about the 2008 season’s leading rusher. Rounding out their top 10, in order, are Michael Turner, Maurice Jones-Drew, Matt Forte, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson, LaDainian Tomlinson, DeAngelo Williams, Larry Fitzgerald and Frank Gore.
I think Peterson has to be the first pick in any league, at least in reasonable formats. He’s the best running back in the league and his team loves to feed him the ball. Yes, defenses stack the box against him, and yes, the Minnesota passing attack as suspect, but it doesn’t seem to slow Peterson down. Jones-Drew will be an interesting guy to watch this season as well, as he’s finally on his own in the backfield now that Fred Taylor has left Jacksonville. Jackson always produced when he’s been on the field, but he seems to get nicked up each season and miss time. Fitzgerald is the only wideout to land in the top 10, though Andre Johnson came in at 11 and Calvin Johnson landed at 14.
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