You know that feeling when you lose your wallet? You spend 5 or 10 minutes looking through your house, hoping it will show up in the most obscure places possible. And that sensation in your stomach – it’s nothing short of awful. You think the absolute worst. You have ideas in your head that don’t even make sense. “What if it was stolen and people are now buying thousands of dollars worth of White Castle on my credit card?”

That feeling is what Adrian Peterson owners felt last season. And I was one of them. While you almost always find your wallet, us Peterson owners didn’t. We had that feeling for the remaining weeks of the fantasy season.

And now, Peterson is somehow supposed to return months before a typical athlete would from an ACL tear. He wants us all to draft him in the first round, too. After my experience with him last year, and the fact that he’s trying to be Superman, you’d be surprised at how I feel about him.

One potential sleeper on the Vikings is…

Kyle Rudolph. Thus far in camp, he’s been the star of the Vikings. And it makes sense as to why. He’s 6’6’’ and weighs over 250 pounds. He’s got good hands, and is finally getting an opportunity to be the guy at tight end in Minnesota.

I wrote about Rudolph as one of my tight end value picks this season, and I’m sticking with it. He’s a potential steal late in your draft.

If healthy, there’s value with…

Percy Harvin. Over the second half of last season, Harvin was the second best wide receiver in fantasy. Pretty remarkable for a guy with a rookie quarterback.

Currently, Harvin is being drafted in round 5 in most leagues. It’s a pretty accurate ranking, but given his performance the second half of last season, he’s got a high ceiling.

The one thing to watch out for with Harvin is his health. He’s already getting beat up in camp, and we all remember his past migraine issues.

At his current ADP, I can’t blame you for getting…

Adrian Peterson. He’s clearly a top running back. And he’s also Superman.

If there’s one human being that can fully recover from an ACL tear in the amount of time that Peterson wishes to, it’s Adrian Peterson. Before going down for the season last year, AP was on pace to be a top-3 fantasy running back. If he’s healthy, there’s no reason that can’t happen again.

What you need to do is watch him in the pre-season. If he looks like the AP of old, his ADP will surely rise. But it probably won’t rise all the way to the first round. That’s where the value comes into play.

He’s easily going to be the most watched fantasy player this pre-season. Make sure you’re taking some mental notes because he’s a game changer. He can win you a fantasy championship when healthy.

The one word to describe the 2012 Vikings is…

Hopeful. Kyle Rudolph is hoping to become the next big tight end, and Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson both hope they can return to 2011 form.

I expect Rudolph to have a breakout season, and I think Harvin is a solid pick in the middle of a draft. I wouldn’t necessarily reach for the guy, but when he’s healthy, he’s a good WR2.

Lastly, you should keep an eye on AP. If he shows the ACL tear is behind him, then you could potentially get a steal because his ADP more than likely isn’t going to rise significantly enough to make him a top first rounder. Watch him.

 

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