From a Fantasy Football perspective, AP has been hyped up to the point that some people are drafting him first overall, or at least second in most leagues. Now first of all I don’t know how there is even any kind of debate on whether one should draft LT or AP first overall, that is just ludicrous. Everyone is putting all their hopes on an injury prone RB who had an excellent ROOKIE year. Does anyone remember Cadillac Williams’ rookie year? How about Kevin Jones? Where are they now? In fact, I don’t know if either running back was actually drafted in my most recent fantasy draft.

Now lets get into the facts about Each running back. Adrian Peterson broke into the league by gaining over 100yds in 4 of his first 5 games — with 224 yds in one game. However, after week6, he only broke the 80yd mark twice for the rest of the year. Stephen Jackson on the other hand started off the season much slower with only one 100yd rushing game in the first 3 weeks, and then he was injured and missed the next 4 weeks of the season. The main thing I want to look at is how the two Running Backs finished in the second half of the season. Obviously no defense was expecting Adrian Peterson to cause them so many problems, but once defenses around the league started to catch on, they made life for AP a lot tougher in the NFL.

I compared the stats for both players from weeks 10-17to see who finished the season stronger. From weeks 10-17, Adrian Peterson averaged 50.83 yds per game in 6 games and 16.2 yds receiving for a total of about 67 total yard per game. He also scored 4 total TDs in that span. Stephen Jackson finished out the season with an average of 91 rushing yard per game, throughout 8 games, and added another 25.6 yds receiving for a total of 116.6 total yds per game. So in the second half of the season, Stephen Jackson averaged almost double the yards that Peterson did throughout the final 8 weeks of the season. Jackson also scored a total of 5 TDs in that span. Even if you add in Peterson’s record breaking 296 yds in week 9 to his second half average, he still would have averaged only 85.8 yds per game. Overall, the stats clearly show that Jackson ended the season MUCH stronger than Peterson did, and he was far more consistent as well. In the second half of the season, Jackson rushed for 75+ yds in 7 of those 8 weeks, had 4 or mor ereceptions in 5 of those games, and also scored a TD in 5 different games. Peterson rushed for 75+yds only twice in 6 games, including a 3 yard outing against the 49ers, and did not catch more than 3 passes in any game.

Some other factors that clearly lead me to believe that Jackson is the better back include:

- The fact that Stephen Jackson not only missed 4 games due to injury and still reached 1000yds on the season, but also the fact that Jackson played another two games without his starting QB.

- The fact that Stephen Jackson played behind a mind boggling 18 different Offensive Line combinations throughout the season. While Peterson’s OL stayed pretty much intact for the entire season.

I am not saying that AP is not a good player, in fact I think that he will be an elite RB in the NFL for years to come, if he can stay healthy. I mean the guy set the single game rushing record in his rookie season. However, if you looka t AP’s two biggest games (296yds 3TDs against San Diego, and 224yds 3 TDs against Chicago) combined, he gained 520 yards and scored 6 TDs. That does not say much for AP’s consistency however, because those two games alone made up almost 40% of his total rushing yards for the season and 50% of his TD total.

Sure, fantasy owners were very happy in those weeks that AP blew up, but how about the game against San Francisco where he rushed 14 times for 3 yards? Jackson never failed to reach 50 yards in a game last year, where Peterson failed to reach the 50 yard mark 4 times.

I feel like everyone has been hyping Adrian Peterson up so much over the past year because of what a great season he had last year, and yeah it was a good season, but he was actually very inconsistent. Therefore, I have to say that whether looking at the two from a fantasy perspective or just in general, I feel like the stats and the facts all say that the controversy over the best RB in the league should not be between LT and AP, but instead be between LT and SJ….

“The key to that to me is staying healthy. Everything else, I believe in wholeheartedly. It’s not like I said something to try to get a laugh or to smile or to get people to pay attention to me. It’s something I believe is in me.”

-Selvin Young regarding him rushing for 2000 yards this season.

In 2007 Selvin Young had 140 carries, 729 yards, and 1 TD.

His Teammate well, former teammate, Travis Henry, had 167 carries for 691 yards and 4 touchdowns. And now the new backup Andre Hall had 44 carries for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2007.

Yes, I understand this is crazy for a running back to say before starting only his second season after being an undrafted longhorn. But guess what, he is on the Denver Broncos, and is on the most consistent rushing offense in recent football history.

2007 – Selvin Young 729 yards + Travis Henry 691 yards

2006 – Tatum Bell 1,025 yards + Mike Bell 677 yards

2005 – Mike Anderson 1,014 yards + Tatum Bell 921 yards

2004 – Reuben Droughns 1,240 yards + Quentin Griffin 311 yards

2003 – Clinton Portis 1,591 yards + Quentin Griffin 345 yards

2002 – Clintin Portis 1,508

2001 – Terrell Davis 701 yards + Mike Anderson 678 yards

2000 – Mike Anderson 1,487 yards + Terrell Davis 282 yards

1999 – Olandis Gary 1,159 yards + Terrell Davis 211 yards

1998 – Terrell Davis 2,008 yards

Guess what, it’s been 10 years and it is time for there to be another 2,000 yard rusher in Denver. They have the zone blocking scheme. And according to history, they seem to be a pretty good rushing team…

Kansas City, Oakland, and the Chargers are in their division… Guess who was #31 and #27 in the league in rushing defense in 2007, Oakland and KC, and the chargers were #16.

In 2008, the Broncos do not even play a 2007 top 5 ranked rushing defense; and they only play 1 team in the top ten! Which is #10 Patriots. They play #11 Jacksonville, and then the next hardest rush defense they play is #16 San Diego Chargers. Leaving 12 teams left to play ranked between #16 and #32.

So what I am saying, is that playing only two teams in the top 15 of the nfl’s rushed defense leaves him plenty of opportunity to do this feat. Do I think he will do it? No, I would put my money on Adrian Peterson, B-Westbrook, LT, or Steven Jackson, but that is why this kid just moved up a notch in my book. This season I will be drafting Selvin Young in Fantasy Football just because if he doesn’t rush for 2000 yards, I have a reason to hunt him down and send Mike Vick’s dog’s after him.