Another Vikings rookie standout taking league, owners by storm
What is it with Minnesota and rookies?
Nine years ago, a little guy I like to call Randy Moss dropped to the 21st pick in the draft, character issues taking precedence over performance.
All he did in his first season: catch 69 passes for 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns. Nothing special.
Now, Minnesota has struck freshman pay dirt again with Adrian Peterson. You might've heard of him. Last week, in his eighth career game, he broke the NFL single-game rushing record, added three touchdowns and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's rookie rushing record.
Moss, top rookie wideout. Peterson, top rookie running back. Heck, you might not even need the rookie in there; he might be the best back in the league.
Fantasy owners everywhere are drooling, and fantasy columnists can't stop talking about him. Even my mother, who knows about as much about football as I do about ballet, mentioned something about him.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
LaDainian Tomlinson is still LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook is still the best multipurpose threat, and "All Day" is bound to fall back to earth.
At least that's what I'm telling myself.
I'm just a little bitter -- I'm the guy who took Marshawn Lynch ahead of Peterson in four leagues. Yeah, Lynch is having a good year, but he's not AP.
Even my mother knew better.
MONEYMAKERS
Top-tier players who should perform to their value:
• Drew Brees, New Orleans quarterback vs. St. Louis: In terms of passing yardage allowed, the Rams aren't the sieve many perceive. But they have allowed 12 touchdowns, and teams get ahead early and stop throwing. Brees is plenty trigger-happy and has reconnected with the long, lost Marques Colston, so he should let it fly for much of the game.
• Cedric Benson, Chicago running back vs. Oakland: This is Benson's official "Stick a fork in him" game. If he does little against a Raiders run defense that allows 5.1 yards per carry, he's officially done for as a fantasy option. He's too important to drop but too worthless to play. In other words, he's in purgatory.
• Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona wide receiver vs. Detroit: I'm a big Fitz guy. He's been remarkably consistent, with seven straight games between 85 and 136 yards. I don't understand why he's not targeted more in the red zone, but I expect that to change this week against an improving Detroit secondary that will key on Anquan Boldin.
WINGMEN
Midround picks who should feast on favorable matchups:
• Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh quarterback vs. Cleveland: When he won 15 games as a rookie, he couldn't get any better. When he won a Super Bowl in his second year, he couldn't get any better. When he threw 20 touchdowns in his first eight games this year, he couldn't get any better. Folks, he can get better. This week he gets a Browns defense that's allowed 20 touchdowns. Hellooooooo, end zone.
• Jeremy Shockey, New York Giants tight end vs. Dallas: With the rise of Dallas' Jason Witten, Cleveland's Kellen Winslow, Pittsburgh's Heath Miller and Indianapolis' Dallas Clark, Shockey's stock has fallen. He's never been a huge yardage producer, but he could be counted on to score. I expect him to be strong across the middle against the Cowboys, who've allowed 12 passing touchdowns.
• Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo running back vs. Miami: Peterson isn't the only stud rookie running back this season. "Money" has gained steam as the season has progressed, leading to his 153-yard outburst last week against Cincinnati. In standard scoring settings, Lynch is projected as the 18th-best running back this week, despite playing the second-worst rushing defense in the league. I'm baffled.
BANK-BREAKERS
Top-tier guys who won't perform up to their value:
• Derek Anderson, Cleveland quarterback vs. Pittsburgh: Anderson had his first touchdown-less game last week against Seattle and faces an incredible Steelers defense this week. Mark him down for three straight below-average performances (last week, this week and next week at Baltimore), but try to buy him low before the fantasy playoffs. The Browns play Buffalo and Cincinnati in Weeks 15 and 16.
• Baltimore defense vs. Cincinnati: The edge, the swagger, that the Ravens had on defense is gone. With a team known for its defensive leadership, that's unacceptable -- and worrisome, as now it faces Cincinnati's passing game.
• Vince Young, Tennessee quarterback vs. Jacksonville: The Jaguars have eaten Young alive, despite his two wins in three games against them. Young has not progressed this season as many predicted, and even worse, he's rushing at only a 3.5 clip per carry.
QUICK PICK SIX
The best bets for the week, based on value:
RB Priest Holmes (vs. Denver); WR Marques Colston (vs. St. Louis); RB Jesse Chatman (vs. Buffalo); WR Santonio Holmes (vs. Cleveland); WR Calvin Johnson (vs. Arizona); TE Jason Witten (vs. New York Giants).
Jon Gold is a Review-Journal sportswriter with 10 fantasy football teams. His column is published Friday. He can be reached at jgold@reviewjournal.com.
