Oh Mercy, Draft Percy

As the Minneapolis Star-Tribune put it: "It doesn't take a football genius to see that he is a special talent . . . He definitely created a buzz amongst players, team personnel and media members with his versatility and playmaking. The Vikings now have two dynamic playmakers in Adrian Peterson and Harvin."

The glowing reports out of minicamp weren't enough to generate overwhelming excitement in fantasy football circles, but Childress ramped it up a notch once training camp hit. Praising Harvin's "high football acumen," the Vikes head coach immediately placed the rookie on the first-team offense during install. Even better, he proclaimed that Harvin wouldn't be spoon-fed and that "the sky's the limit in terms of different ways to get the guy the ball." Asked how, specifically, Harvin would be involved, Childress evoked Brian Westbrook: "From the I-back, to the split-back, to the single-back, to the wing, to the mid-spot, to all the way out and everywhere in between, I think we can do some of those things with Percy . . . Whether you're handing it to him, or throwing it to him, or he's in the return game, you're going to find a way."

Now, it's important to point out that football coaches are an ultra-conservative lot, especially when it comes to rookies. Childress' quotes, however, are almost almost identical to quotes coming out of Titans camp last summer where Jeff Fisher and Mike Heimerdinger told anyone who would listen that Chris Johnson was going to be the offensive fulcrum immediately, if not sooner. The Vikings coaching staff is telling us what is going to happen this season. Are you listening? Harvin and Adrian Peterson are going to be the Vikings offense this season.

So if we know that Harvin will be heavily involved starting Week 1, just what kind of impact will he have? "Purple Haze" has been preparing for multiple roles in camp, specifically tailback, reverse/cut-back runner, slot receiver, deep threat, wildcat quarterback, punt returner, and kickoff returner. One teammate called him "the fastest guy I've seen on the field yet" while beat writers have reported unanimously that he "just keeps making highlight plays." Beyond the speed and athleticism, Harvin has shown encouraging signs that he has the know-how to beat press coverage, run precise routes, and set up cornerbacks.

In other words, he possesses the total package needed to take the league by storm early in the season. Granted, Harvin isn't a workhorse running back, and he's not yet a true No. 1 receiver. Instead, he's a multi-talented runner/receiver who is a threat to hit a homerun every time he touches the ball. If he touches it 10-12 times per game, look out! My projections for this season are very similar to the computer-simulated numbers generated by scout.com/FoxSports, in which Harvin combines 92 rushes and 38 receptions for 900+ yards and eight touchdowns. I've been advising Dynasty leaguers to consider him with the No. 2 overall selection in rookie drafts – and certainly no lower than No. 4 overall. In re-draft leagues, I've been able to grab him as a WR4/5, but I'm very confident that I'll be using him as my WR3 starting in Week 1. Even if you need to snatch him up before round eight, don't be afraid to pull the trigger.

Hop on board this year's hype train. Seats are filling up quickly.

Back in 1962 when he was still a scout with the Chargers, Al Davis was dispatched to Alabama to bird-dog a rifle-armed quarterback named Joe Namath. Upon returning to San Diego, a grinning Davis told GM Sid Gillman he saw a player who "tips the field." Urged to explain further, Davis added, "This S.O.B. plays like he's going downhill."

When I look for rookies with the potential to take the league by storm, it's that "downhill, tipping-the-field" quality that is foremost in my mind. Two years ago, I promoted the idea of taking Adrian Peterson in the second round of re-draft leagues if need be. At this time last year, I revved up the Chris Johnson hype train. This year's difference-making rookie is Percy Harvin. We all know that Knowshon Moreno will be the highest rookie off the board – and deservedly so. But it's Harvin that will create the most big plays with the ball in hands.

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Harvin averaged nearly 10 yards per carry in college. Small sample size? Nope. Harvin carried the ball 194 times at Florida, the great majority after lining up in the backfield – not, as often suspected, taking advantage of misdirection. He finished last season with 17 touchdowns on 40 receptions and 70 rushing attempts. More impressively, his best production came in his team's biggest games.

More evidence of Harvin's difference-making talent? Teammate Jeff Demps was the fastest player in NCAA last season, and Harvin played faster. Coach Urban Meyer called Harvin's first step the fastest in college football, which matches up well with SI.com's Peter King's description from Vikings training camp: "Harvin is so quick off the line, then so fast, that if you give him a half-step and don't have a safety over the top for double-coverage help, the Vikings are going to throw a lot of deep touchdowns to this man." For those who believe Harvin may simply be a shake 'n' bake trick-play artist, check out how ridiculously rocked-up he is.

If Harvin's special talent is undeniable, then why is his ADP still hovering around the late eighth to early ninth round? A long-accepted maxim in fantasy football circles states that rookie wide receivers will always be over-valued on draft day because the production fails to match the hype. Randy Moss and Anquan Boldin serve to remind us that they're the exception, not the rule. Receivers take too long to get acclimated to their new offenses, coaches and quarterbacks don't quite trust them, and they simply don't touch the ball enough to accrue fantasy value.

But what if a rookie receiver came along who already had the trust of his coaches, immediately showed a high football IQ, was already incorporated as a major component of the offense, and was set to touch the ball 10-12 times per game? We're talking about not only a unique talent, but a receiver playing a newly invented position: the Percy Position.

Early indications are that the Vikings will use Harvin in much the same that Florida did. As soon as Harvin was drafted, head coach Brad Childress called offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and asked, "Hey, where's the list?" The list contained 20-to-30 plays – including 10-to-15 new plays – specifically designed to get the ball in Harvin's hands in space. As the Vikings installed the Percy Plays during OTAs, Harvin stole the show. "I think the first thing I thought about was really the same feelings the first time we handed Adrian Peterson the ball," Childress said. "When you see it with your own eyes … the thing that came to mind right away was, Wow."

Childress wasn't the only Vikings coach to be awestruck by the rookie. Receivers coach George Stewart went even one step further, comparing Harvin's potential impact to that of another former Minnesota first-round pick: "You talk about what Randy Moss brought to this football team years ago. True speed, an ability to make plays. This kid is going to make plays for us."



As the Minneapolis Star-Tribune put it: "It doesn't take a football genius to see that he is a special talent . . . He definitely created a buzz amongst players, team personnel and media members with his versatility and playmaking. The Vikings now have two dynamic playmakers in Adrian Peterson and Harvin."

The glowing reports out of minicamp weren't enough to generate overwhelming excitement in fantasy football circles, but Childress ramped it up a notch once training camp hit. Praising Harvin's "high football acumen," the Vikes head coach immediately placed the rookie on the first-team offense during install. Even better, he proclaimed that Harvin wouldn't be spoon-fed and that "the sky's the limit in terms of different ways to get the guy the ball." Asked how, specifically, Harvin would be involved, Childress evoked Brian Westbrook: "From the I-back, to the split-back, to the single-back, to the wing, to the mid-spot, to all the way out and everywhere in between, I think we can do some of those things with Percy . . . Whether you're handing it to him, or throwing it to him, or he's in the return game, you're going to find a way."

Now, it's important to point out that football coaches are an ultra-conservative lot, especially when it comes to rookies. Childress' quotes, however, are almost almost identical to quotes coming out of Titans camp last summer where Jeff Fisher and Mike Heimerdinger told anyone who would listen that Chris Johnson was going to be the offensive fulcrum immediately, if not sooner. The Vikings coaching staff is telling us what is going to happen this season. Are you listening? Harvin and Adrian Peterson are going to be the Vikings offense this season.

So if we know that Harvin will be heavily involved starting Week 1, just what kind of impact will he have? "Purple Haze" has been preparing for multiple roles in camp, specifically tailback, reverse/cut-back runner, slot receiver, deep threat, wildcat quarterback, punt returner, and kickoff returner. One teammate called him "the fastest guy I've seen on the field yet" while beat writers have reported unanimously that he "just keeps making highlight plays." Beyond the speed and athleticism, Harvin has shown encouraging signs that he has the know-how to beat press coverage, run precise routes, and set up cornerbacks.

In other words, he possesses the total package needed to take the league by storm early in the season. Granted, Harvin isn't a workhorse running back, and he's not yet a true No. 1 receiver. Instead, he's a multi-talented runner/receiver who is a threat to hit a homerun every time he touches the ball. If he touches it 10-12 times per game, look out! My projections for this season are very similar to the computer-simulated numbers generated by scout.com/FoxSports, in which Harvin combines 92 rushes and 38 receptions for 900+ yards and eight touchdowns. I've been advising Dynasty leaguers to consider him with the No. 2 overall selection in rookie drafts – and certainly no lower than No. 4 overall. In re-draft leagues, I've been able to grab him as a WR4/5, but I'm very confident that I'll be using him as my WR3 starting in Week 1. Even if you need to snatch him up before round eight, don't be afraid to pull the trigger.

Hop on board this year's hype train. Seats are filling up quickly.