Toby Gerhart

For better or worse, the 6-foot, 231-pound Gerhart has finally escaped Adrian Peterson's shadow, though he had to leave Minnesota and sign with a Jacksonville team in search of an offensive identity to do so. He put up great numbers in a very small sample last season, averaging 7.9 YPC, but missed some time with an early-season hamstring injury and generally doesn't offer the kind of skill set that gets fantasy owners' hearts pumping. An efficient, but unspectacular receiver and a one-cut, straight-ahead runner, Gerhart's greatest value may be at the goal line; unfortunately, this weak Jaguars offense doesn't promise to drive the ball down the field very often. And after finishing with the second-worst offensive line in the league last year, they haven't exactly made wholesale changes. It's a big step down for Gerhart from the situation in Minnesota, even though he ran behind the Vikes' strong offensive line only occasionally in relief of Peterson. Jordan Todman and Denard Robinson will enter the mix for backup touches, but don't seem terribly likely to supplant Gerhart, who's committed to Jacksonville on a three-year deal. The Jags should be wary of overworking him, though, as Gerhart hasn't even hit 100 carries in the last three years.

Adrian Peterson appeared to be bionic last year, but he's coming off a career-high-388 touches and fast approaching 2,000-career touches, so Gerhart should not be forgotten as a quality backup. When Peterson was hurt late in 2011 the former runner-up for the Heisman showcased his strength and overall athleticism, posting five consecutive games with either 100 yards from scrimmage or a touchdown. At 6-0, 231, Gerhart has plenty of size for short-yardage work and is also a good receiver out of the backfield.

Stepping in for an injured Adrian Peterson last season, Gerhart proved plenty capable, totaling 479 yards with three touchdowns over the final five games, finishing with a 4.9 YPC mark on the year. He suffered a sprained MCL in the season finale, but the injury didn’t require surgery, and he’s expected to enter 2012 fully healthy. Gerhart’s fantasy value is 100 percent tied to Peterson, who’s coming off surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL, but might be ready to return in Week 1. In any event, it’s pretty clear that were Peterson to suffer a setback, Gerhart’s his undisputed backup, and a capable one at that.

Gerhart wasn’t asked to do much during his rookie season playing behind Adrian Peterson, something unlikely to change barring injury. Gerhart looked adequate when used, gaining 4.0 YPC and showing some skills as a receiver. He’d presumptively be Minnesota’s lead ballcarrier should Peterson go down, but it’s hardly the ideal situation it was a couple of years back, as the Vikings’ offensive line has taken a major step backward, and a new quarterback (Donovan McNabb) in town.

Gerhart rushed for 1,871 yards and scored 27 touchdowns during his senior year at Stanford. He ran a 4.53 40 at the NFL Combine, which ended any speculation of him moving to fullback and also prompted the Vikings to trade up to draft him in the second round. Gerhart proved to be injury prone in college, including suffering a torn ACL, and while it was nice to see him capable of carrying the ball 343 times last year, that’s a heavy workload. Consequently, his ability to stay healthy at the NFL level with his running style needs to be questioned. Consider him Adrian Peterson insurance, but it would take an injury for Gerhart to have any value.