With Adrian Peterson out for most of the season, Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon found themselves in a timeshare at the running back position. Asiata's goal line abilities ushered him onto the field in fantasy important situations, but it was McKinnon who ultimately held more value. Asiata finished the season with a lackluster showing against the Chicago Bears, rushing eight times for only 14 yards. He was out-produced on the ground by McKinnon and Sam Bradford, who turned in 24 rushing yards on one scramble. Asiata added three catches on three targets for 31 yards. With AP's departure from Minnesota likely, Asiata should serve as McKinnon's backup next season.
Matt Asiata has been owned in seasonal leagues throughout the 2016 campaign for his ability to produce in goal line situations. Asiata has tallied six touchdowns on the season, including a span of three straight games Week's 10-12, but has struggled to accumulate a ton of yards with a workload that increased after Adrian Peterson went down with injury. Asiata is a boom-or-bust option heading into Week 17, but could definitely boom against a Chicago Bears squad that has allowed an absurd seven touchdowns over their last two contests.
Matt Asiata Averages 5.7 Yards Per Carry, Efficient in Week 16 Loss
Matt Asiata took a back seat to Jerick McKinnon Week 16, but still managed to put together a decent stat line for PPR leagues. Asiata averaged an impressive 5.7 yards per carry, rushing the ball six times for 34 yards. He also added three catches on four targets for 30 yards. Despite his goal line abilities, the Vikings focused more on their air attack to fight fire with fire against an explosive Packers offense. He'll likely be Minnesota's No. 2 back again next week pending the status of Adrian Peterson.
Another short-yardage touchdown saved the day for fantasy owners of Matt Asiata. Likely not started by a majority of squads, Asiata posted a forgettable 37 yards on 11 carries, adding two catches for 14 yards. But it was his one-yard run into the end zone early in the fourth quarter that made the difference for both the fantasy world and the Minnesota Vikings. He continues to be a touchdown-dependent flex option moving forward.
Matt Asiata Finds End Zone in Second Straight Contest
Matt Asiata has been a touchdown-dependent option for fantasy because of his inability to accumulate a ton of yards out of the backfield. Asiata averaged an impressive four yards per carry on Sunday, but his five carries weren't enough to accumulate fantasy-worthy yards. Luckily for owners, Asiata found the end zone for the second straight week; a two yard rush capping a five-play, 75 yard drive. He added one catch for seven yards. Despite the touchdown, Asiata was unable to surpass the 10-point mark in PPR leagues, but came close, aiding as a Bye-replacement in deeper formats.
Matt Asiata will need to find the end zone on Sunday to provide any value as a RB3 in deeper, PPR formats. Asiata's speciality, although underachieved and under-showcased, is his goal line ability. However, the Vikings could have a tough time getting that close against a Cardinals defense that allows only 3.8 yards per attempt, ranked eighth in the NFL, according to Yahoo! Sports. Asiata is also stuck in a committee of running backs and should lose some touches to Jerick McKinnon and Ronnie Hillman. Asiata has produced the most for fantasy out of the three, but has been limited as well. He remains a desperation punt heading into Week 11's NFC showdown.
Starting in place of the injured Jerick McKinnon (ankle), in what could have been another coming out party, Matt Asiata carried the ball 14 times for 42 yards. It wasn't Asiata's ineffectiveness that hindered his fantasy stats, but the poor play of Minnesota on both sides of the ball. Playing from behind for most of the game, down 13-3 at half and 20-3 in the third quarter, the Vikings were forced to abandon the run and throw the ball often. Asiata also lost some carries to Ronnie Hillman, which could be the case moving forward if McKinnon misses more time. He did add two catches on five targets for 36 yards, helping PPR formats a bit more. Asiata's appeal rests in his goal line abilities, but the Vikings have to get there first. Minnesota's entire offense is slowly becoming untrustworthy for fantasy and will need to turn it around against the Detroit Lions in order to restore any type of faith.
Matt Asiata Needs to Score to Stay Relevant, Risky Play Week 5
Matt Asiata is a touchdown vulture. He does nothing all game, and is called upon for the tastiest scraps. He's a touchdown-dependent start every week, and a large risk considering his limited touches. Although, his usage might be irrelevant against a Houston Texans team that allowed two touchdowns, in the red zone, to Demarco Murray last week. Both scores came inside the five yard line; Asiata's specialty. It would be hard to believe that there aren't safer options than Asiata waiting on benches and on the waiver wire, but he makes for a less than terrible desperation punt.
Matt Asiata Scores Touchdown Amidst Limited Touches
Those who were faced with starting Matt Asiata, likely in deeper leagues, were rewarded Monday night. Asiata finished the night with only six yards on six rushing attempts, but found the end zone on a goal line run, as expected. He was out-touched, 21-8, and out-rushed, 85-6, by McKinnon, but he also added two catches on two targets for 12 yards. Asiata still failed to breach the 10-point mark, in both standard and PPR leagues, even after scoring a touchdown. With McKinnon looking to break out in the following weeks, Asiata's ownership will likely fall.
Matt Asiata Doesn't Take Advantage of Starting Role
Despite being designated the starter in Minnesota's backfield Week 3, Matt Asiata rushed for 15 yards on only six carries. He added one catch for four yards, but was lost in the Minnesota's inability to move the ball downfield. Asiata's longest run of the day came for eight yards, and lost a lot of carries to Jerick McKinnon. Asiata shouldn't be dropped just yet, but isn't a trustworthy weekly option moving forward.
