Fantasy Football: 4 Things We Learned From Week 9

Adrian Peterson's Workload Is Insane

Adrian Peterson landed in just the situation he needed in order to become a fantasy stud again. The Arizona Cardinals lost quarterback Carson Palmer to a broken arm in their Week 7 blowout loss to the Rams, leaving Drew Stanton in charge of their offense.

Fortunately the Cardinals had their Week 8 bye to strategize, during which time their offensive coordinator announced that the team would lean heavily on Peterson to carry the team -- and the ball. And they did just that in Week 9 against the 49ers.

Peterson's 37 carries on Sunday were the most by any running back in a single game this season. He generating 159 yards on the ground, making it the second time in three games that Peterson had over 20 carries. In both of those games, he rushed for over 100 yards.

This is the kind of volume that produces a fantasy stud. True RB1s in fantasy come from situations where one back dominates his team's opportunity shares, and Peterson is doing just that.

The concern is what happens when the game doesn't go as the Cardinals planned. In games where the Cardinals are losing, Peterson's lack of ability in the passing game phases him out. This could very easily be what happens next week against the Seahawks, the fifth-ranked defense against the pass, as per numberFire's power rankings.

But even Seattle blows out the Cardinals, at least we know that Peterson is the priority on this offense. The Cardinals want to get Peterson the ball, and as long as he gets the touches and the production, he's a must-start option.