Matt Asiata, Jerick McKinnon's Fantasy Outlook After Vikings Claim Ben Tate

Attempting to figure out the Minnesota Vikings running back rotation just became a more arduous task for fantasy owners. It's now almost as difficult to crack as the former Cleveland Browns tailback carousel.  

Ironically enough, both situations involve Ben Tate. Field Yates of ESPN broke the news on Tate being claimed of waivers by the Vikings on Wednesday:

With Tate now in the backfield, the carries will likely be reduced for both Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon. They have been good fantasy backs at times this year for different reasons but have also been as unreliable as, well, Tate.   

For Asiata, his value has been based on him receiving goal-line carries and getting into the end zone. Tate might get some of those touches now as he's a big back who hasn't shown the same explosiveness as a player like McKinnon.

Brian Hall of Fox Sports North also notes that Asiata was listed with a concussion, so his immediate status is uncertain:

Outside of the two big backs, McKinnon owners now have to wonder what his role will be moving forward. The rookie has put up two games with 100 yards or more but has failed to reach the end zone due to Asiata formerly getting those carries.

Now having Tate in the fold means McKinnon might see even fewer touches during the remainder of his rookie campaign. Tate will also likely be expecting a good amount of carries, as Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes he wasn't happy with his role in Cleveland:

Even with Tate joining the Vikings backfield, Matt Camp and Joe Dolan of SiriusXM Fantasy don't believe he'll have a huge impact:

As flashy as McKinnon has been this season, owners will have to take a wait-and-see approach to find out his value. Depending on Tate's role when he does get on the field, the rookie might have an even more limited amount of chances to score points.

Asiata, on the other hand, might be moving further downhill in fantasy. His rushes in the red zone might be limited due to Tate and he has less than 100 combined yards in his last three weeks. McKinnon is the one to watch moving forward considering his playmaking ability and higher upside.

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