The Minnesota Vikings are debuting for the 2015 season Monday night football and Adrian Peterson is expected to be front and center as he makes his return following a tough season last year. Peterson is the best fantasy football starter option with Charles Johnson, Mike Wallace and Kyle Rudolph for Teddy Bridgewater as the team takes on the 49ers on MNF.
The Vikings were in the mix last season in the NFC despite not having Adrian Peterson and now the team has the running back healthy and ready to play. Peterson played in one game last season before being pushed onto the exempt list and he finished the season with just 75 yards rushing. The long layoff has been a good thing for Peterson, as he has avoided a full year of wear and tear, but his body is also another year older and at his position age is always an issue.
Peterson is not like most other running backs and most around the league expect him to pick up where he left off before his off the field issues. Peterson rushed for over 1200 yards the last time he played a full season and he will be the lead back once again for the Vikings. Bridgewater had a solid debut season as a rookie and he did it without Peterson in the lineup and now he could have a much improved running game with Peterson, Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata on the depth chart.
Bridgewater had to do it mostly on his own last year and he showed some great potential under Norv Turner and with Peterson back, the offense could be even better. The Vikings added Mike Wallace to the mix and he could help open things up for young players like Charles Johnson, Cordarrelle Patterson and Jairus Wright. Wallace was disappointing in Miami, but he has a new offense and a new team and could be a great fit for Bridgewater.
Johnson is coming in as the sleeper option for the Vikings and many see him as a potential breakout star for this season. Johnson had 31 catches in 11 games last season and Norv Turner had some high praise for the wideout this summer. Turner said that Johnson was the "real deal" and that he could push to be the number one receiver for Bridgewater. Johnson and Wallace being the starters can help take some pressure off of Patterson, who has shown great raw ability, but has been inconsistent at times with his pass catching and route running.
Kyle Rudolph is a solid tight end option and after dealing with injuries the past two years, Rudolph said he is fully healthy coming into the season. Rudolph played in just nine games last season and eight the year before, but in his last full season he put up career numbers with 53 catches for 493 yards and nine touchdowns. Rudolph being healthy will be huge for Bridgewater, as he can be safety valve for the quarterback at the tight end position.