What to Expect from Vikings' Matt Asiata, Jerick McKinnon in Week 2 and Beyond

Matt Asiata instantly became fantasy-relevant Friday night under the circumstances regarding Peterson. It is time to pick him up in all fantasy leagues, as Adrian Peterson has been deactivated by the Minnesota Vikings for Week 2, if not longer.

Judging by the microscope the NFL and Goodell are under, and the serious claims toward Peterson, his absence could be extensive. 

Asiata is more than a one-week fantasy addition, as we chronicled in The Ultimate Guide to Sunday's Action at Bleacher Report on Saturday morning. Peterson faces a charge of reckless or negligent injury to a child in North Montgomery County, Texas, and "it's likely the league or the team will take action Monday," Master Tesfatsion of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

It is time to get to know Asiata, who will get most of the work against the New England Patriots on Sunday, according to ESPN.com's Ben Goessling.

Asiata's fantasy ownership in CBSSports.com leagues shot up from 3 percent to 41 percent in the past 24 hours. It is warranted. He can be a prime candidate to take off in the run-heavy Vikings offense.

The big (6'0", 234 pounds), 27-year-old back is in his physical prime and in his third year in the NFL. He had two significant fantasy performances late last season, rushing for three touchdowns in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15 and adding 14 carries for 115 yards in Week 17.

Clearly, the former Utah Ute has taken advantage of his limited opportunities. His next big chance comes against a Patriots team that allowed Knowshon Moreno and Lamar Miller to rack up 193 yards rushing, four catches for 19 yards receiving and two combined touchdowns in Week 1. Those totals made the Pats the third-worst team in fantasy against running backs, per FFToday.com.

Asiata is entering the stating lineup at precisely the right time for fantasy production. 

If you are looking for a longer-term option from the Vikings for fantasy leagues and are fearing the worst with Peterson potentially suffering Ray Rice's fate (a release or indefinite suspension), consider rookie Jerick McKinnon (5'9", 208 pounds). Rotoworld's Zach Whitman calls McKinnon "a freak" in terms of his off-the-charts athleticism after being an option quarterback at Georgia Southern.

McKinnon, a third-round draft selection, was picked in more fantasy leagues this August than Asiata as Peterson's handcuff. McKinnon was 93rd in FantasyPros.com's consensus rankings, while Asiata came in at just 105th.

Neither was among the top 75 running backs in average draft position (FantasyPros.com), but now they are among the most-added pickups in fantasy. It is strange the way the fantasy world turns.

Just make sure you keep up with the frequent twists.

Eric Mack, one of the giants among fantasy writers, is the Fantasy Football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, where you can ask him endless questions about your team, rip him for his content and even challenge him to a head-to-head fantasy game.