The Minnesota Vikings may get Adrian Peterson back soon and that would be positive news for fantasy football owners along with Teddy Bridgewater, as owners have picked up Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon this season and while they have been solid options, Peterson is clearly the best back of the bunch and has the chance to finish the season with the team.
Peterson is currently off the field despite his legal issues getting resolved and the NFLPA is working to get him back and Peterson wants to be back with the Vikings. According to NFL.com, Peterson may have to serve a suspension despite reaching a plea deal and that could keep him out for a handful of games. The report says that there is a potential for a six game suspension, which would keep him for the rest of the season, but that there is also chance for a less severe punishment.
The Vikings have been using Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata since Peterson went out and while they have not been great, they have been very solid for the team. McKinnon has shown some great potential and he could be a starter in the making, while Asiata had three TDs last week and has been contributing to the offense as the between the tackles back. The offense has played out of shotgun quite a bit with Teddy Bridgewater and that means Peterson may have to alter how he works in the offense.
The Vikings have not been able to sit and wait for Peterson and with Norv Turner, the offense has evolved quite a bit. Peterson barley worked out of the shotgun in his entire career in Minnesota and over the weeks he has been out, McKinnon and Asiata have combined for more shotgun snaps than Peterson has even rushed out of with Minnesota. That could be an interesting point to follow as Peterson comes back, as Bridgewater now is the legitimate starter and should stay there the rest of the season barring any injuries.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that a six game suspension is possible and that the league also may consider the time he was out this season and his loss of pay as a combination of punishment. Peterson allegedly beat his child with a tree branch and left him with visible marks and he reached a plea agreement and did not go to trial. Peterson is in a situation where many people don't see what he did as wrong and the NFL likely will try and find a way to punish him a bit more even after reaching a plea deal after all the bad press from the past few months.
Asiata had 10 rushes for 26 yards in the game against the Redskins last week and he also caught four passes for 31 yards in the matchup. Asiata has 277 yards this season and an impressive six touchdowns on just 84 carries and he also has 22 catches for 199 yards this year. McKinnon comes in after putting up 54 yards in the game against Washington and he is leading the team with 446 yards this season and he has also been solid with 20 catches for 106 yards.
