The Minnesota Vikings are entering into a contest with the Green Bay Packers this week. We saw them take down their division rivals earlier in the season in a game that benefitted a lot of fantasy managers around the world. This week will be a lot different though.
Kirk Cousins was ruled out for the game after being placed on the COVID list. Along with Cousins came two of their backup quarterbacks, Kellen Mond and Nate Stanley. This leaves only one quarterback available for the organization, Jake Browning.
Update: Mond was available for this game after clearing protocols. The team also picked up a few other quarterbacks in order to have some depth. Browning didn’t even end up starting the game, it was Sean Mannion. This decision was quite surprising due to the support that Browning had with the fans.
According to unofficial stats, Browning’s first day out in 11 on 11 practice, he completed 26 of his 37 pass attempts. Fans gave him a huge applause after practice ended for his performance.
Other fans were hoping that Mond would see some action. I believe he was able to play a few snaps towards the end but judging by Mike Zimmer’s comments he wasn’t pleased. For whatever reason, Mond is on the hot seat in Zimmer’s eyes.
What Fantasy Options Does Minnesota Have?
In terms of fantasy potential, it’s hard to tell if anything is really there. Obviously, if you have Justin Jefferson, he is a must start. However, other players like K.J. Osborn shouldn’t be placed into your lineup. A young, inexperienced quarterback getting just one week of preparation against a top ten defense in the league normally doesn’t equal out to an explosive fantasy day. Minnesota is going to run the ball a lot and try to control possession.
Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison may both be viable if they stick to that gameplan and hold up defensively.