Four Downs: Kevin Smith busts out, but ... 

November, 20, 2011
11/20/11
11:26
PM ET
One veteran NFC North running back had a huge statistical performance in Sunday's Week 11 … but few fantasy owners were able to enjoy what Detroit Lions afterthought Kevin Smith provided. Instead, far more fantasy owners will anxiously await MRI results on the sprained left ankle belonging to Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson. After all, Smith is owned in less than 1 percent of ESPN standard leagues and was unemployed two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Peterson was fantasy's first overall draft pick and entered Week 11 third among running backs in fantasy scoring.

Hopefully the image of Peterson limping off Mall of America Field at the end of the first quarter and then being carted away from the sidelines of the Vikings' loss to the Oakland Raiders will be replaced by him suiting up in Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons. X-rays were negative, and Peterson has been durable, playing through occasional nagging injuries and missing only three games over four seasons. In a season in which fantasy owners have seen first-round draft picks leave with season-ending injury (Jamaal Charles), generally disappoint (Michael Vick) and really disappoint (Chris Johnson), Peterson is yet another reminder that there are no guarantees, no matter what your draft position is or how well a player is performing.


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ESPN.com Senior Writer
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Eric Karabell
Eric Karabell

Eric Karabell is an ESPN.com senior writer. He has worked at ESPN since 1997 and covered fantasy sports for ESPN since 2001, specializing in baseball and football. Eric appears several times per week on SportsCenter, NFL Live and other ESPN shows, contributes to ESPN Radio and ESPN The Magazine and is the host of the Baseball Today Podcast. He has been honored twice as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, his blog was named best fantasy baseball series for 2007 and he was inducted into the inaugural FSWA Hall of Fame class in 2010.

Eric grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, and accordingly, favors Philly teams first, his fantasy teams second. He previously served as ESPN.com's lead NBA editor, and is a former Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer sports writer. Eric is also the author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments," published by Source Books and available in bookstores and online.

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