Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon will be "given a chance to settle in as the starter," according to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. McKinnon, a rookie third-round pick, out-touched Matt Asiata in the team's last game, a 17-3 loss to the Detroit Lions. Asiata had moved into the starting role when Adrian Peterson's off-the-field issues came to light, but McKinnon has much more potential for big plays, and the Vikings experimented with giving him a heavy workload.
Jerick McKinnon could get chance to ‘settle in’ as starter, has potential fantasy value
Jerick McKinnon is still likely ahead of Matt Asiata on the running back depth chart in Minnesota. We break down the fantasy implications.
Adam Bettcher
On Wednesday, head coach Mike Zimmer said he'd like to give Asiata more touches and McKinnon fewer following the Detroit game, but this report suggests McKinnon is stepping into, and will be given a chance to hold on to, the starting role. Asiata has always seemed like a situational back, given that he excels in short-yardage situations, but he's not breaking big runs. McKinnon is much more athletic, evidenced by his 55-yard run against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4.
Fantasy Impact: While Zimmer will likely stick to his word and give Asiata more touches, it just makes sense for McKinnon to carry the load going forward. He does have some fantasy potential, but Asiata is still likely to leech off short-yardage carries, particularly in the red zone. It’s not worth going all-in on McKinnon just yet, but he should be on the radar as a potential RB2/3 going forward.
