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You have to be excited about this off season if you are the Vikings.  The double bladed attack of Adrian Paterson and Chester Taylor nearly got them into the playoffs last season.  The defense played very well and even dominated a few games last year.  The only weakness I saw from this team was their inexperienced quarterback Tavaris Jackson and their meager passing attack.  They did have a few nice strikes late in the season but I attribute that more to 9 defenders in the box as Adrian Peterson was attracking more attention than the skill of Jackson and his young receivers.  The Vikings ended the season 8-8 but being that they are in the NFC, I see a very high probabilty of them making the playoffs this next season.

The Vikings will be sitting on the #17 pick of the NFL Draft.  The only starter they will be losing is free safety Dwight Smith but it appears that they are more in need of a #1 wide receiver as the core of Vikings recievers they have drafted have never really panned out and it appears.  That is why it looks like the Vikings will be taking the wide reciever DeSean Jackson, the speed demon out of California. Jackson will give the Vikings the deep threat they need and will force defenses to either throw a safety over the top and leave themselves open to Peterson.  Or to stack the box and risk one on one with this talented receiver.  While I think Jackson might not be the best guy for the starting QB job, I think he'll be sufficient enough to get the Vikes into the playoffs.  With the addition of a playmaking deep threat, these Vikings games will have just gotten a little more exciting to watch.

Fantasy Top 5

1.  Adrian Peterson RB-  As I announced in one of my leagues last year when I drafted him (and a keeper league at that) "he is the next Barry Sanders".  While his running style is different than Sanders, Peterson definitely proved me correct as he had one of the most stellar rookie years I have ever seen.  While it i possible for the sophmore slump that sometimes happens to backs (yes I fell victim to Cadillac a few years ago), I think Peterson is a very special player and should continue to stun us with his skills every Sunday.

2.  Chester Taylor RB-  Its very tough to pick up Taylor very high but he is one of the most talented back in the league who is not starting (if not the best).  When Peterson went down to injury we saw very little drop in production from the running attack, proving the Vikes line deserves some credit for the success.  But Taylor would be an essential guy for my team if my team had Peterson, as people still fear Peterson and his history of injury although he did a good job of primarily staying healthy for most of last season.

3.  DeSean Jackson WR-  I don't see a ton of receptions, but I some nice deep touchdowns as Jackson is the unproven commodity and teams will challenge him one on one until he proves to them that they can't.  I don't think he's an every week starter fantasy-wise, however depending on the match ups I like his chances to score big some weeks.

4.  Minnesota Vikings Defense-  This defense has always been tough against the run and while showing some weakness to the pass, I attribute that more to teams being forced to pass.  The Vikings secondary is not the strongest unit, but they are good enough for the Vikes D to be a decent fantasy option.  They also have some playmakers such as Darren Sharper who aren't afraid to try and score when they get a turnover.  The Vikings Defense scored 8 touchdowns last year and I expect similar numbers next season if not that high.  

5.  Tavarus Jackson QB-  While he has no great numbers in the passing game its possible he has a decent year with all the attention the backfield should be getting.  Jackson also has some good wheels which helps accrue some fantasy points in most leagues.  Even if he and Jackson hit it off though I would not draft him unless you need to fill a #3 or #4 slot on your QB depth chart, and preferably the latter.

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