RB Adrian Peterson, Washington Redskins
2017 Stats: 156 carries for 529 yds, 2 TD; 11 rec. for 70 yds

After lingering available deep into August, Adrian Peterson signed with the Washington Redskins on Monday. Washington has had their running back depth depleted by injuries this preseason , with Derrius Guice (torn ACL), Samaje Perine (ankle) and Byron Marshall (ankle) all out right now.

When news surfaced the Redskins were starting to look for some running back help, head coach Jay Gruden immediately suggested they wouldn’t be looking for a starter. Rob Kelley and Chris Thompson seemed locked into some sort of significant roles, and Perine should be healthy in time for Week 1. But Peterson lacked options, and the Redskins have clearly only taken a flier on him with a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum.

After a lackluster start with the New Orleans Saints last year, Peterson had a brief resurgence after being traded to the Arizona Cardinals. He topped 130 rushing yards in two of his first three games in Arizona, while averaging 4.7 yards per carry in those games. But take those two games out, and he averaged a dismal 2.5 yards per carry in his other eight games last year before a neck injury ended his season.

Peterson was last a useful fantasy running back in 2015, when he led the league in rushing (1,485 yards) and tied for the league lead with 11 touchdowns on the ground. But that was largely driven by volume (a league-leading 327 carries), and he continued to offer little as a pass receiver (30 catches for 322 yards).

The best-case scenario in Washington for Peterson is to earn a roster spot, with a split of early-down work with Kelley (and/or Perine) and Thompson clearly the primary back on passing downs. Under that arrangement, it surely won’t be too long before Peterson goes public with complaints about his lack of a role. The Redskins have invited a headache, but they’ve promised Peterson nothing and can remove it quickly.

Perhaps starting with Washington’s upcoming third preseason game, Peterson can at least showcase himself for other teams. The Redskins are as banged up right now at running back as any team in the league, and he’s still left to compete for a roster spot in the short window before final roster cuts.

The Cardinals were left in a lurch when David Johnson went down with a wrist in last year’s season opener, and they eventually traded for Peterson. This year, a similar major injury to a lead back is again the only good path to fantasy value for Peterson. Guice may not have strictly fit that lead back description before he went down, but the Redskins clearly had some plans for him this year.

Peterson will now automatically be inserted into a lot of fantasy rankings, and he may start to show up on ADP charts. But unless he eventually lands somewhere with a clear path to playing time, he can be ignored as anything more than a name-brand draft day flier in the deepest of leagues.

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