4-EYED TEAM PREVIEW: MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2021)
It’s Day 6 of our 4-EYED TEAM PREVIEW SERIES and we are continuing our coverage of the NFC North with the Minnesota Vikings! This morning we’re talking offense and later today we’ll be releasing our IDP outlook, so stay tuned!
Finishing at 7-9 in 2020, the Minnesota Vikings decided to shore up their offensive and defensive lines in the 2021 NFL Draft. As far as their positional players on offense, it should be relatively the same other than Kyle Rudolph signing with the New York Giants in free agency. All eyes should be on second-year player Justin Jefferson who had quite the breakout rookie season finishing with the third-most receiving yards in the NFL.
So, who are the players from the Vikings offense that can help you win a fantasy championship in 2021?
Find out below in our 2021 Vikings 4-EYED Offensive Team Preview!
Quarterback
Kirk Cousins
Cousins finished as the QB11 in fantasy last year and he is surrounded by a great supporting cast. Dalvin Cook as the RB3, Justin Jefferson as the WR6, and Adam Thielen as the WR8 all are returning to this offense. Because of having Cook on the team though, the Vikings do like getting the ball in his hands. Cousins ranked 15th in passing attempts, but eighth in passing yards and sixth in passing touchdowns. Cousins also ranked sixth in most times sacked which is why the Vikings drafted an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft. Cousins is a solid and reliable quarterback that can be a later-round target if you don’t take a quarterback early.
Running Backs
Dalvin Cook
Unfortunately, if you are wanting shares of Dalvin Cook you’re going to have to draft him in the first round of most leagues as he is the reigning RB3. Cook had the second-most rushing attempts, rushing yards, yards after contact, and was tied for second in rushing touchdowns last season. Barring an injury, Cook should still be the focus of this offense and will return the fantasy value you draft him at.
Alexander Mattison
Mattison is the backup running back for the Vikings, and while playing in 13 games he finished as the RB55. He isn’t going to be as valuable of a running back, in my opinion, because, unlike other running backs, Mattison hasn’t shown that he can be the lead back like someone like Latavius Murray has. In the two games that Cook didn’t play, Mattison finished as the RB45 in Week 6 and as the RB4 in Week 17. Yes, that Week 17 number is impressive, but it was the last week of the season and the Week 6 performance has been much more in line with other times he has filled in as the guy in the offense. Not high on my list of backup running backs, but if you can get him late? There’s a decent floor with him.
Wide Receivers
Justin Jefferson
Jefferson had the 15th most targets for wide receivers last year as well as being tied for the 13th most receptions. The most impressive thing about Jefferson is that he turned that usage into having the third-most receiving yards and fourth for yards per reception for receivers with at least 81 targets. He was graded by PFF as the second-best receiver to only Davante Adams. Jefferson will be a high wide receiver draft pick and if he can avoid the ‘sophomore slump’, he projects as a WR1 easily.
Adam Thielen
Thielen enters 2021 as the likely top candidate for touchdown regression as his 14 receiving touchdowns in an offense with Jefferson and Cook is likely to not repeat. But, I don’t think that it has to. I’ve mentioned it in other articles, but one of the best things for wide receivers is looking at the NFL rating of the quarterback when they are targeting the individual receiver. For players with at least 106 targets, Thielen ranked fourth best for NFL rating when targeted so Cousins is still going to be looking his way often. Thielen has the chance to be a WR1 again this next season and his floor is just a WR2 so you know what you are getting from him.
Tight End
Irv Smith Jr.
When Kyle Rudolph signed with the Giants, it became ‘Irv Smith Jr. season’ on social media and the hype was real. Smith Jr. played in 13 games last season and the third-year player ranked seventh among tight ends with at least 41 targets for yards per reception. He had the most touchdowns for tight ends with fewer than 50 targets with five receiving touchdowns. I don’t know that this Dalvin Cook heavy team can sustain three other pass catchers, but if you miss out on main tight ends in the early and middle rounds, you could take a late-round flier on Smith Jr. I would feel more comfortable having him as my second tight end and hoping for early upside.
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