Fantasy football owners could have a tough time choosing between Washington Redskins running backs Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice.
Peterson, after all, ran for more than 1,000 yards last season and helped plenty of fantasy teams along the way. But Guice is the high-upside young player who could easily take over — but he’s just been cleared from injury.
For Jeff Ratcliffe of Pro Football Focus, the issue comes down to usage in the team’s most recent preseason contest:
Adrian Peterson didn’t play in this contest, which would suggest that he should open the season as the starter. But Peterson isn’t the preferred fantasy option. Derrius Guice played 19 of Case Keenum’s 31 snaps in Week 3. Guice is returning from injury, but the young back has major upside even in an offense that could struggle at times.
Indeed, Guice saw the majority of the work with Case Keenum. There were plenty of factors at play though and it’s safe to presume that the Redskins wanted to take it easy on the veteran Peterson while also making sure Guice got enough reps of live contact after just getting cleared.
Still, it’s easy to read into the usage. Guice might start the season slow as he further acclimates to contact again. But he’s got quite a bit more value than Peterson from a fantasy standpoint simply because he’s more explosive and versatile.
Guice figures to be the featured back as the season wears on, making him a must-have in all formats.
