I’m not saying this because of my Toby Gerhart sleeper post. I’m not saying this because I don’t believe in Adrian Peterson. I’m saying this because reality trumps fantasy every time. The fantasy is, AP is healthy and ready to go week 1 and you just drafted him in the 2nd round of your draft. The problem with your fantasy minus the whipped cream covering all the vital parts – seriously, maybe we should discuss therapy – is that in reality AP isn’t practicing real football right now. Despite all the Yo Gabba Gabba about AP being taken off the PUP list, there is one vital truth that needs to be noted: no one is allowed to touch him in practice right now. Yes, you read that right, AP is pulled off the PUP list but isn’t being touched in practice. Folks, it’s late August as of this writing and he still isn’t being tackled and in fact, the general threat from the team is the person who does tackle him gets cut. Now you tell me if that sounds like someone ready to go game one of the season. What is that I hear…crickets? Yes, I thought so. Look, I’m an AP fan but here’s the fantasy football fallout. If I’m drafting him, I don’t expect him to play a full season and I really hope that’s because he’s not playing week one. I need him fresh, healthy and strong for the playoff push and I need him to play when he’s ready and not any sooner. Let us hope that Minnesota management is simply trying to sell tickets and doesn’t plan on playing him straight away. I still have him down for missing four games. That has been my motto since about July when I posted about him in our Top 20 for Fantasy Football and it was actually written in May. Obviously, it’s not set in stone but nothing that has happened since has changed my mind. I don’t know, maybe I’m stubborn or ignorant or both but I can’t believe in him playing a full season right now and for those needing AP for a playoff push, let’s hope that his season starts in October rather than September. In other fantasy football news…oops, I almost forgot to interrupt myself to remind you of our 2012 Razzball Commenter Leagues still needing players. We currently have 19 leagues. Would we love more? Certainly! Would we love the ones we have to be filled with our Razzball type peoples? Yep! So if you aren’t part of a league yet, get your internet tookus over to that link and find one to sign up for. And now back to our post…
Ryan Mathews – I reserved judgement about him in my Overall 2012 Rankings for 2012 Fantasy Football until I had a better idea about a broken clavicle and it’s full implications. Well, WebMD and a real MD I know said it was not a good thing. If he’s back in 2 months and then back in a sling in two weeks, color me not surprised. If he plays week 1 and is healthy for the rest of the season, Color Me Badd.
Miles Austin– Still hamstrung and might be in said state until the beginning of the season. He isn’t slipping quite yet for me in my rankings but I can only put an icy-hot patch on his spot for so long.
Kendall Hunter – I have no reason to talk about him, per se, except that with the recent rash of 49er RB injuries with LaMichael James and Brandon Jacobs, Kendall becomes quite an interesting play behind Frank Gore. And when I say behind Gore, I really mean he’ll have a chance to start at least 2 or 3 games depending on how those other two work their owies out. #intrigued.
Tavaris Jackson – Seahawks have told him they intend to move him which means a couple of things. One, the QB battle is now down to two with Matt Flynn and Russell Wilson and two, Jackson will simply be moving from one bench to another. We have a great bench for quarterbacks here in Arizona. That was Kevin Kolb selling the Cardinals to Tavaris.
Rashard Mendenhall – Activated from the PUP list and then it was promptly mentioned he wouldn’t play in September most likely. Eh, I don’t really get why he was pulled off the PUP list either. If he’s back this year, in my mind we don’t see him until near the fantasy football playoffs and even then we don’t know what the team will have solidified in his stead. What it DOES do is put a damper on any love I had for the Steelers backfield this year. It’s murkier back there than swamp a$$ at this point.
