The Minnesota Vikings are not playing for any playoff position, but the team can be a massive spoiler in the NFC East, as they play the Eagles on Sunday in Week 15 and fantasy owners should watch out for Toby Gerhart as a pickup to start, as Adrian Peterson injured his foot against the Baltimore Ravens and likely will be out on Sunday.
Peterson is one of the leaders in the league in rushing, but he needed to get carted off the field against the Ravens after gaining 13 yards on seven carries and he gave way to Gerhart, who had a nice game in relief. Peterson was on a roll the past two weeks before getting injured, gaining over 350 yards and scoring a touchdown and he came into the game after rushing for 211 yards against the Bears and now he could be out for Week 15 and possibly longer, as the season just has a few games left for the season and he has scored three touchdowns over his past four games before getting injured.
The Vikings have had a disappointing season, but with the Eagles coming on Sunday and then after that the team plays on the road against the Bengals in Cincinnati and then they have a huge game against the Detroit Lions that could help decide the division or a playoff spot for the Lions in Week 17. The Bears and Packers are very much in the mix after the Lions lost to the Eagles and now they have the chance to play spoiler on Sunday and in Week 17 as things start to shake out.
The poor play at quarterback for the Vikings with Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel has forced the team to run the ball more and that has given Peterson some nice games, but now he will be out for some time possibly. Gerhart is a solid addition, but he too is injured after straining his hamstring and that will be something for fantasy owners to watch out for. The Vikings are ranked seventh in the league in rushing yards per game with 131 yards on the ground and Gerhart could have a nice game against a weak Eagles rush D.
Last weekend Gerhart rushed for 89 yards on 15 carries and he scored an impressive touchdown at the end of the game on a 41-yard dash and while he is banged up as well, he should be good to go on Sunday. Gerhart averaged six yards per carry against the Ravens and this season he has averaged 7.9 yards per carry on 36 attempts and he has nearly 300 yards this season. Gerhart is the start option this week after Peterson injured his foot and he could be a solid sleeper option.