The Minnesota Vikings are going to miss the playoffs again and while they have found a QB in Teddy Bridgewater, the future for Adrian Peterson is up in the air and his trade or release could be coming in 2015 and teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers or Baltimore Ravens could be fits if that happens.
Peterson was hoping to come back this season after appealing his indefinite suspension, but his appeal was denied. The team now has Matt Asiata in the lead, as Jerick McKinnon was placed on injured reserve after missing time in the second half of the season. According to Pro Football Talk, McKinnon had been dealing with a back injury and after missing Week 14 he was placed on injured reserve and that means he will be out for the rest of the regular season in 2014. The Vikings believe that McKinnon has a future with the team as a lead back and he is expected to be in the mix to start if Peterson doesn't return.
Peterson is hoping to come back, but there is a chance it will not be in Minnesota. McKinnon ends the season after playing in 11 games and rushing for 538 yards for a 4.8 per carry average while catching 27 passes for 135 yards. McKinnon is worth keeping in some fantasy leagues, as he likely was a free agent addition and would be a late round carry over option. Even if Peterson returns, McKinnon is expected to have a heavy role and Mike Zimmer has said in the past that McKinnon has the potential to be a "primary back" in Norv Turner's offense.
The Vikings lost to the Lions in Week 15 and moving forward, the Vikings offense has the chance to bounce back, as they had been playing better and could put up points in the final weeks over the Dolphins and Bears. Asiata comes in after rushing for 59 yards against the Jets and this season he now has over 400 yards rushing along with 32 catches for 226 yards. The Vikings won in overtime on an 87-yard TD from Teddy Bridgewater that travelled about four yards before Jarius Wright took it to the house. Wright and Charles Johnson are solid options moving forward, as they have passed Cordarrelle Patterson on the depth chart.
The Vikings have been having an up and down season and after playing the Jets and Lions on the schedule, fantasy football owners should be looking to start players like Matt Asiata, Charles Johnson, Teddy Bridgewater and Ben Tate as solid options. The reason those names are better is because Jerick McKinnon is injured and Cordarrelle Patterson likely will be limited in Week 16. Patterson is now out of the starting lineup and moving forward Johnson or Greg Jennings are better options.
The Vikings had a great matchup with the Jets and they have continued to be one of the best teams to play against in fantasy all season. The Vikings defense was epic before last week and now it could be time for the offense to shine and Matt Asiata could be an excellent option against the Dolphins in Week 16.
