Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon once again carried the load on Sunday. McKinnon touched the ball 21 times, three times as much as Matt Asiata, who had seven touches on the day. That's significant, given that there was a similar disparity in Week 6 -- one that head coach Mike Zimmer said that he'd hoped to eliminate.
Jerick McKinnon gets more touches than Matt Asiata again; fantasy value rising
Jerick McKinnon had 19 carries in Week 7 and looks like the lead back in Minnesota. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Zimmer said that he wanted Asiata to get more touches and McKinnon to get fewer, but that's not what happened against the Buffalo Bills in Week 7. That might have something to do with the fact that McKinnon played really well. McKinnon carried the ball 19 times for 103 yards, though he didn't manage to find the end zone. That's a per-carry average of 5.4 yards. Asiata had six carries for 24 yards.
Fantasy Impact: McKinnon is simply a better fit as an every-down back, while Asiata is more of a plodding short-yardage player. There’s still some risk that McKinnon will lose some quality red zone touches to Asiata, who has been solid at scoring in those situations, but for now, McKinnon is the guy fantasy owners should grab.
