Matt Asiata the name to know in Minnesota
With Adrian Peterson off the field for the Vikings, Matt Asiata is the player to target off waivers -- whether you have AP or not.
By
Dave Richard
•
2 min read
The task of replacing Adrian Peterson will fall on a number of backs but the one who will end up taking the most work is Matt Asiata. You might remember him from his 30-carry, 51-yard, three-score game in place of Peterson last season against the Eagles. Two weeks later he came back from that sluggish-but-effective output (and an injury) and went off for 115 yards on 14 carries against the Lions. So that's a 1.7 rushing average in one game and an 8.2 rush average in the next. That's pretty weird, but also something he duplicated this preseason with two games with a plus 4.0 rush average sandwiched between a game he had 1.9 yards per game against.
The truth is that Asiata isn't exactly a slug. He's a good pass protector and receiver and can be functional as the Vikings' primary rusher. As easy to catch as he seems to be after reviewing some of his games, he's also physical and is not an easy guy to bring down.
The other back who figures to be involved in the Vikings run game is Jerick McKinnon, a rookie from Georgia Southern. He's much smaller than Asiata but also much more explosive -- and much less experienced. In the preseason he averaged 4.9 yards per carry and had over 7 yards per run in his last two preseason matchups. He also is an asset catching passes out of the backfield. He falls short in pass protection and probably won't be trusted with a big part of the game plan since he's coming from such a small school and into the fray of the NFL.
I have Peterson in a few leagues. My first move is to get Asiata either off waivers or via trade. The price tag for Asiata shouldn't be much right now but I'd pony up a decent player in exchange for him since we don't know how long the Vikings will need him as their main back. McKinnon isn't considered as vital and is unlikely at this point to be a major player for Minnesota.
Asiata is also a must-add even if you don't have Peterson. That's because he'll be the Vikings starter on Sunday and could stay in that role for a while. What's happening with Adrian Peterson off the field is irrelevant to Fantasy owners. What matters to us is that he's not going to play in Week 2, and judging how swiftly the Vikings made their decision to deactivate him on Friday, there's no guarantee he'll be back in action for Week 3, either. There's a lot to be uncertain about.
