Week 3 RB Committee Report

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more.

Welcome to the weekly running back committee report, where we'll take a look at who should emerge successful from some of the league's most crowded backfields:

Minnesota Vikings

With Peterson likely out for the season after opting to undergo surgery on his torn meniscus, the rushing burden falls on the same two players who took over when Peterson was suspended in 2014 - the bruising between-the-tackles rusher in Asiata and the outside burner in McKinnon.

To date, none of Minnesota's backs have managed to do anything behind a lackluster offensive line that has provided little blocking relief. Perhaps that's a result of the defense swarming the line of scrimmage against over-matched Shaun Hill or unacclimatized Sam Bradford.

Bradford actually looked capable in Week 2, completing 70.9 percent of his passes and sparking instant chemistry with WR Stefon Diggs. Now that defenses know that they can be burned by the Bradford-Diggs connection, they'll have to defend the line of scrimmage with greater balance.

Asiata has seen more usage through two weeks but 250 career attempts at 3.5 yards per carry rules him out of the traditional role. Expect McKinnon's usage to pick up in that regard; he has been effective in limited usage coming into this year, averaging 4.9 Y/A for his career. And with Mike Zimmer anointing him the starter, McKinnon gets first crack at a workhorse role.

Asiata could still function as a short-yardage receiving option; he caught 44 passes for 312 yards in 2014. A semi-reliable safety option will aid Bradford, who was calling plays out of another team's playbook three weeks ago.

The Vikings will take on Carolina in Week 3. The Panthers held the 49ers to just 2.5 Y/A in Week 2, so even with flashes of an improved passing game, they could still stack the box against a McKinnon-led rush attack. For that reason, Asiata makes a lot of sense for a tournament lineup, especially since he's the cheaper of the two options. Expect him to see a handful of targets.

As for Ronnie Hillman, who signed with the Vikings on Wednesday, he can safely be left on the waiver wire unless another injury strikes the Minnesota backfield.

Carolina Panthers

Speaking of the Panthers, they'll have to get by without their lead back as well; Stewart will be out on a week-to-week basis with a hamstring injury. To Whittaker's credit, the run game didn't miss a beat when Stewart went down; the backup ended up with 100 rushing yards on 16 attempts and 31 yards receiving on three catches.

Some will take that as a sign to back up the Brink's truck to the waiver wire and place a big FAAB bid on Whittaker - but not so fast. Artis-Payne is considered by the team to be the more adept between-the-tackles rusher; the only reason he has been inactive to date is because Whittaker offers more as a member of the special teams unit.

The Artis Formerly Known As Payne (patent pending) will assume starting duties, per coach Ron Rivera. When Stewart was out of the lineup from Weeks 14 to 16 in 2015, Payne carried the ball 33 times for 152 yards rushing and one TD, while also adding 58 yards on five receptions. That's 10.7 fantasy points per week in PPR leagues.

Minnesota had the 17th-best rush defense last year - essentially league average. If Bradford turns back into a pumpkin after a big Week 2 and Cam Newton can stake the Panthers to an early lead, the game script says that Artis-Payne could hit cash game-level returns, especially relative to a near-minimum DFS salary.

New England Patriots

Tom Brady is suspended for two more weeks; Jimmy Garoppolo is hurt and likely won't play for the Patriots' Thursday night game. Jacoby Brissett will be the man under center to start the game against the Texans.

The Patriots' offense is built around pinpoint passing; it's surprising when a two-year backup like Garoppolo instantly clicks but it would be astonishing if Brissett found the same level of success. If Rob Gronkowski misses his third straight game, the Patriots might just hand it off to Blount 20 times and call it a night.

Receivers seem to struggle with the short turnaround, further lending credence to the Blount hype train. The Texans have some big playmakers that could force the Pats to target White if they fall behind early, but this has grind-it-out running written all over it. If you play a slate featuring the Thursday game, Blount is the best bet.