Adrian Peterson went on Dash Radio on Friday and announced plans to return to the field this Sunday against the Colts.
"Wednesday, I was able to go out there and really kind of test the water and I felt good," Peterson explained. "I was really uncertain, really didn't know what to expect because I hadn't been cutting. ... I knew it was going to be a good test for me. Thursday and then (Friday), it felt really good.
"So I was able to come up with the conclusion, talking with the head coach, my running backs coach and the training staff, that I'm going to go ahead and go this week. I'm getting back out there this week, man, and I'm looking forward to joining my team as we continue on this journey to make the playoffs."
Once the Vikings activate Peterson from injured reserve (make sure this happens before making any lineup moves), Fantasy owners will be fired up to put him in as a No. 1 rusher.
But don't let excitement cloud reality.
Peterson, 31, hasn't played any football since September and really hasn't played much football since January. When we last saw him he was sporting a horrific 1.6 yard per run average -- and that was when the Vikings offensive line was healthy! Now it's a mess.
The best-case scenario is that Peterson picks up a handful of carries and scores in his first game back, a game he should use to theoretically knock off some rust before taking on more work and helping out Fantasy owners next week. Indianapolis is the perfect opponent for his return. The Colts won't have their best run defender (D'Qwell Jackson) and have been worked for 4.6 yards per carry over its last three games.
The safe outlook is to start Peterson only if you're needy at running back. While it would fire up the Vikings faithful to have Peterson score on Sunday -- a legit reality -- it's probably likely they'll curb his reps and use him for maybe 10 touches including goal-line stuff. We're talking a ceiling of 10 Fantasy points.
Fantasy owners should particularly hope for him to look good in hopes of using him in Week 16 at the Packers. That would be a welcome sight for folks seeking a championship on Christmas Eve.