The Minnesota Vikings got the ball into Adrian Peterson 's hands "just" 319 times in 15 games last season. That's a pretty nice total for some backs, but not Peterson. That's his lowest amount of touches in a season since his rookie year of 2007. However, he should see more work this season, according to offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave.
Although Musgrave said an average of 25+ carries per game right out of the gate would be a little much, he did say, "I think we can increase (his carries) as the season goes along."
According to Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com, Peterson is expected to be a "big part" of the Vikings' passing game this season. He caught 36 passes last year and 43 in 2009.

Fantasy Analysis:

I don't expect the Vikings to run Peterson into the ground, but he's got to get more carries than his 283 from last season. I expect his touches to go from 319 to about 360-370 if he can play a full 16 games.
He's definitely the safest choice among the running backs who can be considered for the No. 1 pick in fantasy drafts. My biggest concern with Peterson is how his production might be affected by an offensive line that looks to be one of the league's worst.