Fantasy Fallout: Hold off selling Stefon Diggs with Adrian Peterson out for year

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Here are the fantasy repercussions of the knee injury likely to cause Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson to likely miss the remainder of the 2016 NFL season:

Fantasy owners who invested an early first-round pick in Peterson can freely cut ties. They had been left disappointed through just two weeks, as Peterson had averaged just 1.6 yards per carry on his 31 attempts. He caught just two of five targets for a meager seven yards.

Still, Peterson had 14 games to turn his season around, and those owners are now without their top pick. This news comes as somewhat of a relief to owners who used their top waiver claim or a majority of their FAAB budget on backup RBs Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata. The two will form a timeshare, with recently added Ronnie Hillman offering depth but no fantasy value.

The backfield

McKinnon and Asiata last filled the Vikings' backfield void when Peterson missed the 2014 season due to suspension. Asiata finished the season with 882 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns.

Asiata racked up 164 rushing attempts in 15 games and hauled in 44 of 63 targets received. Nine of his touchdowns came on the ground, with many of those being goal-line carries.

At 6-foot-0, 219 pounds, he fills the big-back role. The 5-foot-9, 205-pound McKinnon was Minnesota's third-round draft pick in 2014. In his rookie season without Peterson, McKinnon totaled 673 yards from scrimmage, but he failed to score a touchdown. He caught 27 of 41 targets.

He is viewed as the superior talent to Asiata, and he's likely to see most of the duties while working the ball down the field. Expect Asiata to sub in on third downs and closer to the goal line.

Both players need to be added. McKinnon holds RB2 upside, while Asiata is better suited as a FLEX play. Both players can be immediately inserted into lineups, unless clearly better options exist.

The passing attack

The Vikings system under head coach Mike Zimmer has always centered around Peterson, for obvious reasons. The two replacement running backs may force a shift in the scheme toward a heavier passing attack. QB Sam Bradford's 31 pass attempts in his first game as a member of the Vikings in Week 2 were topped just five times by QB Teddy Bridgewater in 2015.

Vikings No. 1 receiver Stefon Diggs ranks second in receptions and first in receiving yards. His 285 yards are nearly 60 yards more than second-ranked New Orleans Saints WR Willie Snead.

Many owners were taking this time to sell high on Diggs, viewing his performance through two weeks as his peak. This will need to stop. More passing attempts from Bradford will include more heading in the direction of his No. 1 option. Diggs is in a tie for 15th among target leaders, which did signal regression in his catch rate. More looks could offset this decline.

Vikings third-year WR Adam Thielen may stand to benefit the most of the receiving group. While Diggs may see a few additional targets, he has little room to improve due to an already significant workload. Thielen has caught eight of 10 targets for 95 yards this season. He has converted for a first down on five of those eight receptions.

A few additional looks could promote him to a WR4 in certain matchups, warranting occasional FLEX consideration in both season-long and daily formats.