Who's #1?

Either you earned the first pick through failure of circumstance and underwhelming play or just by overt chance, what do you do in the catbird seat for 2015?  

To me there's the top four of RBs - and everyone else.

In my order of preference …

Photo: CBSSportsline.com

1) Adrian Peterson: No matter what your personal take is, remember you're not picking him for father of the year. A full year off means he's fresher than you think despite him turning 30.

Other keys to consider:
 A) Norv Turner. An offensive genius - kids ask your dads about Emmitt Smith.

B) Teddy Bridgewater. The Vikings offense is surging with the second-year QB at the heart of it. Bridgewater started the last 12 games last year and got better every week, despite never throwing more than 2 TDs in a game. But, sleeper WR Charles Johnson and newly added Mike Wallace with a healthy TE Kevin Rudolph are all huge signs that better days are coming.

His 2,000+ season of 2012 and near-1,300 2013 year were with Christian Ponder at quarterback. He's played and produced with the likes of Matt Cassel and Tavares Jackson.

C) Consistency - as long as Peterson is healthy, worry not. Prior to 2014's suspension, he hit double-digit TDs every year of his career. At No. 1 you need a sure thing.

Photo: Fansided.com

2) Jamaal Charles: Five straight 1,000 yard seasons plus his 14 combined touchdowns last year placed him second behind Marshawn Lynch in running back scoring. He could arguably pass for the top pick.

Yay: Charles as TD-anytime speed (career 5.0 yard per carry mark) and has proven to be Alex Smith-proof.

In 2014 he also overcame a start that only inspired panic with 23 yards in his first two games and a week three ankle sprain. In the passing game,  free agent prize Jeremy Maclin will give the Chiefs a deep threat replacing the corpse of Dwayne Bowe as a No. 1 receiver.

Nay: His yards rushing dropped from 1,500 to 1,200 to just over 1,000 last year and his TD total is misleading. Charles ran for nine scores but picked up a fluky five scoring catches while his receiving totals dropped by about 30 catches and 400 yards from 2013's career receiving highs.


3) Le'Veon Bell: His suspension was dropped to two games. But that, combined with the Steelers' bye, leaves fantasy owners without him for three games - roughly a quarter of the regular season.

His upside is great, after hitting just shy of 1,400 yards in his second year, featuring a huge leap in performance after a solid rookie year. Not to mention the lethal Pittsburgh passing game which saw Bell snag 83 catches and a threat like Antonio Brown to keep defenses guessing.

His rushing TD numbers are also due to go up, since he somehow landed on eight scores in back to back seasons.

Just by handcuffing with DeAngelo Williams does not a plug-in replacement starter make. Williams is a shaky at best stand-in.


4) Eddie Lacy: He might be riding shotgun to Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, but first-world problems, people.

Photo: FoxSports.com

His touchdowns went up from 11 to 13 in his second season and he became a bigger part of the passing game, piling on nearly 200 more yards. With Jordy Nelson out and Randall Cobb battling preseason injury, Green Bay should be leaning on the run a little more than usual until the receiver position figures itself out.

This would be an out-side the box pick, but flush with upside. By 2016, the draft argument could be which third-year back - Bell or Lacey - should go No. 1.

Also receiving votes:

From: USA TodayAlso receiving votes:

Marshawn Lynch: A picture of consistency, he's averaged 13 rushing touchdowns the past three years and landed between 1,200 and 1,600 rushing yards. Shockingly, he crept up near 400 receiving yards a year ago.

But just as QB Russell Wilson is ascending, Lynch is going the opposite way. With Wilson improving and new top pass target Jimmy Graham along plus the addition of free agent RB Fred Jackson to steal carries, yuck.

I'd leave Marshawn for the mid- to late first round.