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Fantasy Football Week 8: Jerick McKinnon is a Must-Start

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Jerick McKinnon

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Since winning the job from Matt Asiata in Minnesota, Jerick McKinnon has turned in two solid performances in the past two weeks. This Sunday, McKinnon has the potential to really introduce himself to the fans around the country in a big way. He has a juicy matchup, and right now, he appears to be the only reliable offensive option for the Minnesota Vikings. Those two reasons are why McKinnon needs to be in your starting lineup this weekend.

In Week 7, McKinnon ran for 103 yards on 19 carries against a stout Buffalo Bills defense. The former college quarterback has great vision and breakaway speed, and he could become a star this weekend as the Vikings take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers are a mess defensively. They are allowing 128 yards rushing per game, and Minnesota’s offensive line is much better at run-blocking than pass-blocking.

For being a much smaller RB than his backup, Asiata, McKinnon still doesn’t go down easily. Against the Bills, about half of his yards came after contact. Also, since his pass-blocking skills have improved dramatically, don’t expect McKinnon to lose out on snaps to Asiata on obvious passing downs.

McKinnon will be the main guy for Minnesota this weekend. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has struggled mightily in his first three starts of his NFL career, and I believe that Norv Turner will do whatever he can to get he ball in McKinnon’s hands whenever possible. McKinnon his also a threat out of the backfield as well, as evidenced by his six receptions for 42 yards in Week 6.

McKinnon should be a clear RB2 against Tampa Bay, and he should be the solid fantasy option for weeks to come.

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