Matt Asiata (RB, MIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues Immediately

Owned in 33% of Fleaflicker Leagues

ANALYSIS: Last week we talked about the AP situation, including his deactivation for Week 2's game and speculating on Matt Asiata as the fill-in running back for the Vikings and waiver wire pickup for your fantasy football teams. Hopefully you were able to snag him off the wire, and plug him into your lineups, especially if you are an AP owner.

Well the story is not over yet, and may not be for quite sometime. After being reinstated by the Vikings earlier this week on Monday, more news broke about Adrian Peterson and another possible child-abuse situation (with another one of his children), making his situation with the NFL and fantasy football owners even messier. Earlier this morning, the Vikings decided to deactivate AP again, this time indefinitely, until all of his legal and court proceedings clear up. So Peterson has now been placed on the exempt list by the Vikings, and he will miss Week 3's game against the New Orleans Saints. It's unknown how long he will be out for, or if he will return at all this season to the team.

Matt Asiata performed well for fantasy owners who started him in Week 2, as the Vikings' coaches clearly trusted him to carry the running back load. Overall, Asiata rushed 13 times for 36 yards, and added in 5 catches for 48 yards and a touchdown, racking up a very solid 19.40 points in PPR leagues. The yards per carry weren't very impressive, but the volume of touches he received is a good sign and should keep him locked into the RB2 discussion on a week-to-week basis for as long as AP is out. Asiata's ownership numbers are way up from last week, but they are still not high enough. He needs to be owned in all fantasy football leagues as we prepare for Week 3 and beyond.

If Asiata is still available in your league, go pick him up now off the Week 3 waiver wire. Jerick McKinnon becomes a more intriguing stash by the day, as he is the more talented pure running back and physical specimen, but he only received four touches in Week 2. Asiata is clearly the running back to own at this time in the Minnesota backfield. Keep a close eye on McKinnon in Week 3 to see how he's utilized, and feel free to stash him on your teams if you have the roster room. The Vikings may look to incorporate him further into the base offense with AP potentially out for a while. But Asiata is the guy that needs to be held onto right now if you already own him, and needs to be added immediately if he's just sitting out there on your league's waiver wire.