Adrian Peterson, Matt Asiata Post-Week 14 Fantasy Advice

The fantasy football playoffs began with Thursday’s Week 13 down-to-the-wire opener between the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals, and many postseason playmakers were in action.

Following the Vikings’ 23-20 loss, here is a look at how Minnesota’s running backs fared against the league’s fourth-ranked run defense, and an outset for their value moving forward.  

Rush Attempts	Rush Yards	Receptions	Receiving Yards	Total TDs	Fantasy Points
23	69	1	17	1	11

Adrian Peterson is likely a member of many fantasy playoff teams as the league’s leading rusher and the No. 2 fantasy running back. 

Peterson ran for 38 yards and a touchdown—his career 100th—on the Vikings’ first offensive drive, but was held to just 31 yards (1.6 yards per carry) the rest of the game. 

Peterson managed 11 fantasy points; not thrilling but still respectable given the matchup against on of the league’s best defenses. 

The Vikings have favorable ground matchups in their final three games against the Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Green Bay Packers, though Peterson averaged just 9.5 points per game in his first meetings with the NFC North foes. 

Regardless, the former MVP is one of the rare and elite must-starts every week—no matter the opposition.

Rush Attempts	Rush Yards	Receptions	Receiving Yards	Total TDs	Fantasy Points
0	0	2	30	0	3

Matt Asiata scored a season-high three fantasy points, but did so through the air, with two catches for 30 yards. The backup running back got zero carries Thursday, as the Vikings’ ground game went strictly through Peterson. 

Even in such a loaded matchup and with the star struggling, Minnesota showed it had no credence in Asiata, who is owned in just 0.4 percent of all fantasy leagues. There’s no reason to think that figure will change. 

All stats courtesy ESPN.com standard leagues.