Fantasy Football: 4 Unexpectedly Great Week 6 Performances

Adrian Peterson, RB, Arizona Cardinals

NFL.com Start Percentage: 20%

Week 6 Fantasy Points: 25.4

Adrian Peterson turned 26 carries into 134 yards (5.15 yards per carry) and finished as the second-best fantasy running back in standard scoring in Week 6. Of 2017.

That's the most carries Peterson has had since Week 15 of the 2015 season, and it's the most rushing yards he's had since Week 11 of 2015. Quite an impressive performance after averaging just 3.2 yards per carry over his previous eight games. What can we expect going forward? As we noted recently, Peterson's game is (perhaps obviously) much better when he gets rolling with a lot of volume. And therein lies the rub.

Since 2012, when Peterson's team wins, he averages nearly 23 rushing attempts per game. But when his team loses, his attempts drop down to just 15 per game. When his team loses by a touchdown or more? Just 13 attempts for Peterson, on average.

The Cardinals have said Peterson won't play on third (passing) downs, which is very helpful. In order for Peterson to make an impact, he needs rushing volume, and that volume typically comes when his team is winning. Look for games when the Cardinals are favored. Those should be games that give Peterson the best chance to make another big impact. Conversely, when the Cardinals are underdogs, Andre Ellington, the Cardinals pass-catching running back, seems more likely to make a big impact.