Jerick McKinnon Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection
By Brad Berreman
@bradberreman24
Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Replacing Adrian Peterson has not been easy this year, for Minnesota Vikings or fantasy football owners. The Vikings have largely deployed a committee backfield over the last five games, with Matt Asiata producing fairly solidly and rookie Jerick McKinnon moving into a bigger role in recent weeks. McKinnon moved into the starting role in Week 6 against the Detroit Lions, with 17 touches to Asiata’s three while playing close to three times as many snaps.
Head coach Mike Zimmer said he wants to get Asiata more involved in Week 7 against the Buffalo Bills, while reducing McKinnon’s workload some. The logic behind that can be debated, but it also clouds the fantasy outlook for each guy in what looks like a particularly difficult matchup.
The Bills enter this week’s action allowing the fewest fantasy points to running backs (8.7 per game; ESPN scoring) and they are the only team in the league that has not allowed a touchdown to the position yet. They have allowed 5.5 receptions per game to running backs, but that average is skewed a bit by the combination of Matt Forte (eight catches in Week 1) and Arian Foster (seven catches in Week 4). Forte (87 receiving yards) and Foster (55 receiving yards) have also combined for nearly half the receiving yards (288) that Buffalo has allowed to running backs so far this season.
McKinnon’s fantasy stock is on the rise right now, even with Asiata lingering as a touchdown vulture and an apparent threat to take touches away. I’m not buying the prospect of anything close to an equal split of playing time though, and even in a very tough matchup McKinnon is in line for enough work to be a viable RB3 or flex in 12 and 14-team leagues.
Jerick McKinnon Week 7 Fantasy Projection: 14 carries for 55 yards, five receptions for 36 yards
Brad Berreman is a Columnist at Rant Sports.com. Connect with him on Google +.
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