Jerick McKinnon Would Draft Himself For Fantasy Football

The Minnesota Vikings look to have an improved running game for the 2015. Much of this can be attributed to the return of former MVP Adrian Peterson, but there is also a solid group of guys behind him in veteran Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon, who is entering his second year.

Nov 2, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon (31) celebrates his run against the Washington Redskins in the third quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 29-26. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

In fact, Adrian Peterson has fantasy football experts urging players to select him with their #1 overall pick. This could be good advice as the team should be able to run the ball effectively with a road-grading offensive line and plenty of horsepower from Peterson, Asiata and McKinnon.

As a fantasy football player myself, I wouldn’t have an issue using my first round selection on Adrian Peterson this year, but that would put any other Vikings running back as nothing more than a handcuff. Those are the players you draft if there are no starters left and you want to secure the position on a team by picking that player’s backup.

In an article on the TwinCities.com Pioneer Press website, Jerick McKinnon thinks that using a pick on him would be a smart move:

"“If I had a fantasy team and could take myself, I would.”"

As someone who has been playing fantasy sports for nearly a decade, I can’t echo his statement. Last season, Jerick McKinnon was impressive, but he failed to reach the end zone and will likely not see those opportunities in 2015 even if Adrian Peterson is unable to play. Those goal line and short yardage opportunities will likely go to Matt Asiata.

Still, it is great that a team can have the kind of depth that there can be talented players down the entire roster. And it is even more reassuring when those players are healthy and ready to run. Last year, Jerick McKinnon suffered a back injury that held him out of action at times last year.

"“I think I’ve made long strides from last year coming off the injury,” McKinnon said. “We’re going to continue to push each other and then we’ll see how the depth chart comes out. All I can do is make the most out of my reps (in practice) and continue to grow and go from there.”"

While I can’t recommend Jerick McKinnon to be drafted in fantasy football leagues, watching him grow and develop into a player that the Minnesota Vikings can rely on is very entertaining. He’s got to potential to be a very good player when he gets more opportunities, but that just won’t happen behind Peterson and Asiata in Minnesota.

Next: Minnesota Vikings 2015 Game By Game Previews

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