Vikings’ Sam Bradford and Stefon Diggs are ruled out again
The Minnesota Vikings will be down their best two offensive players again this week, opening up fantasy doors for other fantasy contributors.
While Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer thinks quarterback Sam Bradford may play again this year, he won’t return this week. The Vikings will also be missing offensive star Stefon Diggs and guard Nick Easton.
https://twitter.com/Vikings/status/921438858109243392
While Vikings fans would prefer to see their offensive stars on the field, it does open doors for other players to be fantasy relevant in Week 7. Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph and company should have more opportunities.
Case Keenum, the relief quarterback, is not worth rostering at this point. He is incredibly inconsistent, and while he threw his first interception against the Packers, he has two games this year without a touchdown pass. He also only has one game with over 250 passing yards.
With Stefon Diggs out, Adam Thielen becomes even more valuable. While he was already a WR1 in fantasy, he becomes the WR1 on the field, as well. He had one of his best games of the year with Diggs out against Green Bay. He has yet to find the end zone, but it is only a matter of time. Thielen is the only surefire receiving start on the Vikings this week.
A player who also gets a boost from Diggs’ absence is Kyle Rudolph. He is typically a TE2 with 8.9 PPR points per game on the season. Still, he may not be a better choice than Cameron Brate or Evan Engram, but he is certainly a high-end TE2 this week. Be wary of starting him over a better matchup, though.
Jerick McKinnon is another player to throw into your lineup. He is a RB2 this week against a soft Ravens run defense. In addition, McKinnon has caught 11 balls for 81 yards and a score the last two weeks. Keenum does not have a ton of arm strength, so McKinnon will be targeted often as an underneath security blanket. He is a FLEX play at best in standard leagues.
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Owners of the Ravens D/ST will benefit from the injuries as well. Easton being out will lead to additional pressures. The Ravens will likely capitalize on them by either adding to their league-leading interception total of nine or their 16 sacks. This should be a low-scoring game.