Adrian Peterson isn’t built to be a workhorse in the NFL anymore, not at 35 years old. But he’s just good enough to ruin an already complicated situation for the Detroit Lions running backs in fantasy football for 2020.
Rookie and 35th overall pick D’Andre Swift was already a complicated player to consider at 67th overall, his consensus average draft position on Fantasy Pros. Because rookies were so exciting in college, they tend to get overdrafted in fantasy. That seems to be the case with Swift, who will almost certainly spend his rookie season splitting touches with Kerryon Johnson. Admittedly, Johnson’s game is a mess, and his 2019 season, which was fraught with injuries, was a major disappointment. But Johnson was once a promising running back. It would be foolish to think his career is finished.
The Lions seemed destined to have a position battle that ended with some similarities to the one that took place on the 2016 Atlanta Falcons between Tevin Coleman, an up-and-comer, and Devonta Freeman, a seemingly-fading veteran who made a comeback. If that were the case, both Swift and Johnson would have value.
But Peterson arrived in Detroit. And the situation got even more complicated. Peterson steps onto a roster and somehow ends up with 150 touches. Even in his time as a journeyman over the last three years, he has topped 150 carries in each season. He won’t get that much work in Detroit, but he’s also the type of running back that doesn’t do well as a bottom-of-the-depth-chart option. That’s why he had an ugly breakup with the Saints. Detroit surely knew this when they signed him. They intend to use Peterson, which is bad news for Swift and Johnson. That’s why I’ll be avoiding all three running backs in fantasy football for 2020.
