Game Info
Kickoff: Monday, November 27th, 8:15 PM ET
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Betting Odds: MIN -3.5, 44.5 total via Odds Shark
Network: ESPN
Writer: Mario Adamo Jr. (@marioadamojr on Twitter, /u/dotcalm on Reddit)
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Joshua Dobbs (Start, High-QB2)
The Passtronaut finally came back down into our hemisphere. After three straight weeks of 24+ points, Josh Dobbs had a solid performance of 17.9 points for a finish of QB15. QB15 feels about right for Dobbs, some weeks he’ll overshoot that but I think as the dust settles this will be closer to his normal score going forward. That being said, I think this week he has a good chance to exceed that. The Bears give up the seventh-most points to quarterbacks they face, exactly 20 points per game. I have Dobbs as a High-QB2 this week.
Running Backs
Alexander Mattison (Start, High-Flex), Ty Chandler (Start, Flex)
While this is still Alexander Mattison’s backfield to lose, I’m beginning to roster Ty Chandler. Mattison still led the team in carries with 18 to Chandler’s 10, but Chandler’s 7.3 yards per carry have my attention. The matchup is favorable, since the Bears allow 17.64 points per game to running backs (11th-highest), but not enough for me to move the needle. Both guys are Flex-viable, I expect a positive game script that would lead to more opportunities.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Justin Jefferson (Start, WR1 if healthy), Jordan Addison (Start, WR2), K.J. Osborn, (Sit), Brandon Powell (Start, Flex), T.J. Hockenson (Start, TE1)
At the time of writing this, Tuesday afternoon, there is no news about whether or not Justin Jefferson will play this week. Keep an eye on practices and whether or not Jefferson is listed as a full participant. All that being said, I’m not overthinking this. If Justin Jefferson is active you start him.
With the exception of Week 4 where Jordan Addison failed to bring in his only target, Addison’s worst three games this season have been Week 10 (10.9), Week 9 (10.2), and Week 11 (7.4). It’s safe to say Addison is feeling the biggest impact from Cousin’s injury and could even offer a glimpse of what’s to come for a healthy Jefferson. The targets are there which is a good sign, with him still seeing 6.67 targets per game over the last three weeks. If Jefferson misses this week I’m starting Addison and happy with a WR2 finish. With Jefferson active I expect Addison to be a WR3/Flex with the occasional boom game, similar to Gabe Davis. Meanwhile, I’m not as optimistic about K.J. Osborn. Osborn saw two targets in both Week 9 and Week 11, missing Week 10 due to concussion protocol. The wide receiver room is about to get more crowded in Minnesota and I don’t foresee Dobbs supporting everyone.
I didn’t expect to write much about Brandon Powell this week, but here we are. Powell’s 12 targets since Week 9 are second only to Addison. Over the last five weeks, Powell has finishes of 7.5, 9.5, & 10.9. He’s put up low flex-worthy numbers, perfect for a bye-week replacement. Except there are no byes this week. Next week the Vikings have their bye, and almost certainly Jefferson will be healthy the following week. That means Powell’s time to shine is not only fleeting but likely over before it ever had a chance to start.
Here’s a fun stat to help you cope with T.J. Hockenson’s uncharacteristically low TE10 performance last week. Hockenson has more performances in finishing in single digits (e.g. TE1-9) (7) than he does as TE10 or worse (4). Not much else to say about the best tight end not named Travis Kelce.
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Justin Fields (Start, QB1)
In his first game back Justin Fields finished as QB8, mostly thanks to his 104 rushing yards, his highest this season. This is a great sign for me. Fields is not hampered by his injuries and is back to his old self. I’m confident Fields will continue to be a top-10 fantasy option and I’m firing him up with confidence every week going forward.
Running Backs
Khalil Herbert (Start, High-Flex), D’Onta Foreman (Start, Flex), Roschon Johnson (Sit, Low-Flex)
In his first game back Khalil Herbert led the backfield in carries with 16 for a measly 35 yards. Herbert wasn’t even lucky enough to trip into the end zone, that went to D’Onta Foreman and his six carries. Roschon Johnson also had six carries, but his 30 yards seem like the most impressive of the bunch. This week with no byes I’m not looking to start any of these guys, but I like Herbert the most. His 16 carries are ten more than anyone else. In this backfield, I’m chasing opportunities. I posted this last week but it’s still true, since Week 1 Roschon Johnson has not had a weekly finish better than RB36. This backfield cannot support a three-headed monster rushing attack. Johnson is the bench warmer of the bunch.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
DJ Moore (Start, WR1), Darnell Mooney (Sit, Flex), Tyler Scott (Sit), Cole Kmet (Start, Low-TE1)
When the Bears’ offense cooks it’s through head chef DJ Moore! Moore caught seven of his nine targets for 96 yards and a touchdown. Moore has a touchdown catch in the last four games Fields has started and finished. Moore will continue to get his, especially against this Vikings defense that allows 22.82 points per game to wide receivers, the ninth-most in the league. Moore is a smash start, set-and-forget WR1 going forward.
Week 8 was fun for Darnell Mooney, with five catches on six targets for 82 yards. Besides Week 8 and Week 1, Mooney has finished as WR 45 or worse. Mooney has some value as a flex since I expect this to be a high-scoring game, but I’m still not starting Mooney unless desperate. A fun fact about Mooney is that for the last two weeks, he finished with exactly 3.4 points and finished as exactly WR74. A week after I pointed out that Tyler Scott finished Week 9 with -0.5 points he finished Week 11 with -0.6 points! Don’t start Scott.
After I called out Cole Kmet’s seven targets being low he one-upped me with four targets last week. His 20 yards last week was his second-lowest this season in which he recorded a catch. I believe last week was an outlier and I continue to expect Kmet to have touchdown upside and be a serviceable starter.