Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew have bigger roles than expected in opener

Almost every fantasy football “expert” you asked on Sunday would have told you to bench both Adrian Peterson and Maurice Jones-Drew if you had other options. The star backs were not expected to receive a full workload as Peterson is still recovering from ACL surgery and Jones-Drew missed the entire offseason while holding out. If what they saw wasn’t a full load, it was pretty damn close.

Jones-Drew had a decent day from a fantasy standpoint as he had 22 touches for 99 total yards. He failed to find the endzone and it may not have been what we’re used to, but it was far more than expected from someone who was supposed to be out of shape. Peterson, on the other hand, is obviously a freak of nature.

A.P. tore his ACL during Week 16 last season and many wondered if he would ever be the same player again. Less than nine months after suffering the devastating injury, he somehow managed to carry the ball 17 times for 84 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Jacksonville. Granted it’s only one game against a weak opponent, but many running backs take a full season to recover from an injury of that magnitude — especially considering he suffered it so late in the season.

For those who took the risk and spent an early draft pick on either Peterson or Jones-Drew, Sunday had to be a major relief. If the amount of work each back received is a preview of what’s to come, you may just have yourself the steal of the season.

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