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Player Outlooks (2020)

 

QB Kirk Cousins: Despite coming off the most efficient season of his career (26:6 touchdown-interception ratio), Cousins only threw for 3,603 yards last year, and he is tough to rank too highly in the QB2 ranks on a run-first offense that won’t have Stefon Diggs. If there is a reason for optimism about Cousins being more than just a streaming option that has a high weekly ceiling when Minnesota needs to throw, it’s that the shootouts might become more frequent since Mike Zimmer’s secondary is replacing all three starting corners from a season ago.

 

RB Dalvin Cook: Through three seasons, Cook has missed 19-of-48 regular season games, and he could be trending down some—whether or not the contract situation is resolved—with several other RB1 options worth selecting as a top-six pick. The upside is 1,500+ yards and 15+ scores, but Cook might be more of a mid/low RB1 than high-end RB1 with Alexander Mattison capable of handling more work.

 

RB Alexander Mattison: As a rookie, Mattison showed well with 462 rushing yards on 100 attempts, and his clearest path to standalone value would be seizing more short-yardage carries to help Cook stay healthy. The starter not holding out certainly hurts the redraft value of Mattison, but he’s still a premium handcuff with RB1 upside.

 

RB Mike Boone: Boone was a frustrating pickup last December when both Cook and Mattison went down, as he rushed 11 times for just 28 scoreless yards in a Week 16 start, but exploded in the season finale with 17 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown against the Bears. Minnesota’s No. 3 runner can stay on the waiver wire with everyone healthy.

 

WR Adam Thielen: A hamstring injury impacted Thielen in 2019, but he averaged 14.3 fantasy points per game over the first six weeks, and he will now be healthy as the clear No. 1 option in the passing attack. That said, first-round pick Justin Jefferson will kick him out of the slot quite a bit, which will lead to tougher matchups for the veteran. We would consider Thielen more of a high-end WR2 than WR1.

 

WR Justin Jefferson: The Vikings loved Jefferson coming out of LSU, and he projects to be an immediate weapon for Kirk Cousins as a chain mover on short/intermediate routes in Gary Kubiak’s offense. The rookie has 4.43 speed and went for a 111/1,540/18 line in his final season for the Tigers; based on scheme fit, we project Jefferson’s transition to be an easy one despite the potential impact of COVID-19 on player development.

 

WR Tajae Sharpe: Aside from Adam Thielen and Kyle Rudolph, the only player on Minnesota’s roster with more than 1,000 career receiving yards is Sharpe, but he isn’t currently a recommended fantasy option with the Vikings relying on a lot of 12 personnel. The former fifth-round pick caught 51 passes over his final two seasons in Tennessee.

 

WR Bisi Johnson: The Vikings oddly have a bunch of possession receivers on the depth chart, and that includes Johnson, who caught 31 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns as a seventh-round rookie last season. While the connection he showed with Kirk Cousins might give him a decent chance to have an early-season role, Johnson lacks upside in redraft leagues.

 

WR Chad Beebe: Beebe has been talked up some since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018, but it’s led to just six receptions in the regular season, and as a primary slot receiver, he is likely blocked from having a significant offensive role this fall.

 

TE Kyle Rudolph: Many thought Rudolph was on his way out in Minnesota last summer, but he signed an extension and remained a very capable scoring threat with six touchdowns (or seven if you include the game-winner against New Orleans in the Divisional Round). With Irv Smith Jr. emerging, it will probably take another handful of scores for Rudolph to have another top-15 finish at the position.

 

TE Irv Smith Jr.: Smith Jr. only averaged 8.6 yards per reception as a rookie, but that was more about the role than his lack of upside as a player, and we think he should be more involved as a field-stretcher in 2020. It’s worth noting that Smith Jr. out-snapped Kyle Rudolph from Week 14 through Week 16 last season; he’s an underrated TE2 option.

 

Other Notes

 

Best 2020 value: WR Justin Jefferson (FantasyPros ADP: WR53)

Jefferson will have one of the easiest transitions in the league out of the rookie receivers because of his projected role in Gary Kubiak’s offense, and he will especially be a value in full PPR leagues and point-per-first-down formats. Look for him to get plenty of opportunities to create separation on shorter routes, but Jefferson also has the speed to get behind the defense.

 

Best dynasty investment: WR Justin Jefferson

From a long-term perspective, the floor for Jefferson might be as a WR2 in the mold of Robert Woods or Tyler Boyd, and again, the smoother projected transition compared to other rookie wideouts could give him value sooner than most.

 

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Exclusively in Fantasy Consigliere draft guide.

 

Stat to know

Exclusively in Fantasy Consigliere draft guide.