Tormented by Adrian

I have a beef with Adrian Peterson.

All season long the Vikings stud rookie running back toyed with my emotions. I’d sit him and he’d set a new NFL record for rushing yards in a game. Play him and Chester Taylor would get more carries. He became the sweet siren call of fantasy football.

And in the end he cost me dearly last week in the playoffs.

After seeing him torch the Lions for 116 yards and two TDs in his first game back from injury, I played Peterson last week against an abysmal San Francisco team, sat back and waited for him to carry me into round 2.

As you can guess, he did no such thing. Peterson rushed for three yards — yeah, THREE yards — on 14 carries and my team with Peterson went down in flames.

That said, the league I own Peterson in is a keeper league (I took him in the fourth round), so he will be on my team next year.

What should I do with Peterson this week?

Answer: If you’re still playing, which is unlikely if you own Peterson, you have to go with him. The chances of him putting up a stinker two games in a row is unlikely. Plus he’s going on Monday night against a defeated Chicago team. Play him with confidence.

Who are some guys that will be resting over the final two weeks?

Answer: The first team to look at is the Patriots. Will Bill Belichick sit Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Co. even if they remain undefeated. I say no, so continue to play them with confidence. The next team is the Colts, who could clinch the No. 2 seed this weekend and have no chance to move up to the No. 1 seed (after the Patriots’ annihilate the Jets). Like they did for much of Week 14’s game against Baltimore, Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai and Reggie Wayne likely will sit the second half in Week 16 and all of Week 17. Most teams will have incentive to play Week 16, but come Week 17, the Cowboys, Packers, Seahawks and Bucs could all be sitting starters. Because of the competitive AFC, the Steelers, Jaguars, Chargers and Browns will likely be playing hard the rest of the way.

How will Bobby Petrino’s departure affect the Falcons?

Answer: Atlanta’s season went from bad to downright abominable on Tuesday, when Petrino bolted for Arkansas. A team already depressed after Mike Vick’s loss, now is without a head coach. The Bucs welcome the Falcons to Tampa this Sunday and the Cardinals host them in Week 16. This week, play your Bucs: QB Jeff Garcia, RB Earnest Graham, WR Joey Galloway and the Bucs’ D are all must-starts. And if you make it to Week 16, take a long look at Kurt Warner, Edgerrin James and the Cardinals’ D. If healthy, play WR Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. It may go without saying, but sit all of your Falcons.

Why are the Bears turning to Kyle Orton?

Answer: With Rex Grossman done for the season and its year basically kaput, Chicago decided to keep Brian Griese on the bench and turn to Orton. The Purdue product was terrible in his first stint as starter when he was thrust into the position back in 2005, but according to reports out of Chicago he’s much more prepared to start this time around. Either way, he’s going to have trouble against Minnesota’s rejuvenated defense under the glare of Monday Night Football. Sit Adrian Peterson (the Bears’ version), Muhsin Muhammad and limit your expectations for Bernard Berrian.

Will the Patriots score 70 points on Sunday?

Answer: Probably not, but it’s going to be ugly. Belichick isn’t happy his one-time protege Eric Mangini turned the tables and turned in his mentor for spying in Week 1. New England, a team that thrives on motivation (see: Steelers safety Anthony Smith), won that game 38-14, so Sunday’s game could get out of hand real quick. Nobody on the Jets can cover Randy Moss and Kellen Clemens behind center has had Belichick salivating all week. My guess is a 56-7 Pats’ win. At this point, it’s a no-brainer to play all your Patriots — even Laurence Maroney — but sit all your Jets. I’m guessing they score a TD, but there’s no guarantee and it’s definitely not going to be two.

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