Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, December 1st, 2024, 1:00 PM ET
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Network: FOX
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Kyler Murray: Start, QB1
Kyler Murray disappointed in Week 12 against a red-hot Seahawks defense, failing to lead his team to an offensive touchdown. He has the chance to bounce back against a Vikings secondary who were just lit up by Caleb Williams in Week 12 for 340 yards and allowed 295 passing yards to Will Levis in Week 11. With an implied total of 45.5, Kyler Murray is likely to drop back more than average this week, which should boost his passing numbers, much like he did last week, where he set a season-high in pass attempts and completions, recording his second-highest passing yardage total of the year. The issue of late has been Kyler’s decline in rushing attempts, carrying the ball only seven times in the past three weeks after registering 5+ attempts in 7/8 games to start the season. This reduced rushing production lowers Murray’s floor, making him an inconsistent option this week and beyond. However, he still ranks as a low-end QB1 due to his top-five weekly upside.
Running Back
James Conner: Start, RB2
James Conner has been abysmal on the ground the last two weeks, carrying the ball 19 times for 41 yards. Fantasy managers should expect more of the same against the Vikings, who give up the fewest rushing yards per game with only five rushing touchdowns allowed in 11 games. Due to Conner’s recent inefficiency, the Cardinals may give rookie Trey Benson some more touches going forward, but Conner dominates passing game work, catching ten balls on ten targets in the past two weeks. Even in a tough matchup, Conner should be in your starting lineups due to his role in the passing game and on the goal line. Trey Benson remains a handcuff only. He has looked very good in limited touches but will likely not have a three-down role if something were to happen to Conner. Benson has only earned five targets all season.
Wide Receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr.: Start, WR2
Much like his QB, Marvin Harrison Jr. has had an inconsistent season, producing five weeks of WR26 or better and six weeks of WR49 or worse. Harrison is prone to bust weeks because he’s seen seven targets or less in eight straight weeks, which makes him more reliant on touchdowns and explosive plays. The Cardinals’ rookie is talented enough to produce WR1 spike weeks even on average volume, thanks to his knack for the end zone, scoring six times this season, and he was so close to a seventh score in week 12 after making an incredible grab but failed to get a 2nd foot down, hitting the pylon instead. Harrison is certainly getting open, though, ranking fifth among wide receivers who create multiple steps of separation on the highest percentage of routes in 2024 (according to Fantasy Points Data), but Kyler often looks for McBride as his first read. The floor is low, Harrison could have a nice bounce-back game vs. the Vikings, who allowed 117 yards to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and 106 yards to DJ Moore in back-to-back weeks.
Tight End
Trey McBride: Start, TE1
Trey McBride is not only a TE1 in week 13, but he will be in the conversation for the overall TE1 this week and likely for the rest of the season. The star tight end is coming off a monster 25.3-point performance where he set a career-high in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and YAC. In week 12, Kyler Murray had 37 pass attempts, his highest of the season, and McBride was the go-to option all game. McBride had a first-read target share of 59.8%, the highest of any tight end this season. If Kyler Murray attempts 35+ passes again, which he has done in two of the last four games, it should be another massive game for McBride, especially after seeing Cole Kmet catch seven passes for 64 yards against the Vikings last week.
https://twitter.com/FantasyPtsData/status/1861466267548364958
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Sam Darnold: Sit, QB2
After a hot start to the season, it appeared that Sam Darnold was falling back down to Earth with a tough stretch between weeks 5-8 where ranked QB24 in PPG. However, Darnold has had an impressive recovery, posting three top-10 QB finishes in the last four weeks. This week, he has a tough matchup vs. a red-hot Arizona defense who have only allowed two passing touchdowns in the past five games. Surrounded by elite weapons everywhere, Darnold is always a threat to finish as a QB1, especially given his recent performance, but there are better options this week, which is why Darnold ranks outside the top 12.
Running Back
Aaron Jones: Start, RB2
Cam Akers: Sit, RB4
After ceding 23 carries to Cam Akers in weeks 10-11, Aaron Jones returned to his workhorse role in week 12 against the Bears, getting 25 touches, resulting in 129 yards. This was the fourth time this season Jones has touched the ball 25+ times, but more importantly, he reached an 80% snap share for the first time since week 8 and had his highest carry share since Cam Akers joined the team. Jones will be a must-start RB2 with an RB1 ceiling every week if he retains this bell-cow usage. Cam Akers no longer has standalone value and has been relegated to handcuff territory.
https://twitter.com/FantasyPtsData/status/1861514980710908264
Wide Receiver
Justin Jefferson: Start, WR1
Jordan Addison: FLEX Option, WR3
Justin Jefferson is in a rare slump, averaging only 9.5 fantasy points in the last three weeks, ranking as WR49 during this stretch. It can’t be ignored that this dip in production comes at the same time TJ Hockenson has returned from injury, with the Vikings tight end averaging seven targets over the last three weeks. Additionally, Jordan Addison has become more involved in the offense, earning 17 targets over the last two weeks after averaging only 4.7 targets per game in his first seven games of the season. It will be incredibly difficult for Darnold to support three passing options every week, especially if Aaron Jones is receiving 25+ touches, but Justin Jefferson remains a must-start top-five option every week. A large part of Jordan Addison’s week 12 explosion was due to the Bears choosing to let everyone else beat them instead. “It’s either let everybody else go off or let Justin go off,” said Justin Jefferson. As long as the Vikings keep winning, Jefferson seems to be ok with everyone else doing the damage. If teams continue to take Jefferson out of the game, Addison should continue to put up huge numbers, but it’s impossible to predict the opponent’s defensive game plan. Therefore, fantasy managers should temper expectations and be aware that Addison has a very low floor.
https://twitter.com/Vikings/status/1860849063588962666
Tight End
TJ Hockenson: Start, TE1
Hockenson saw his snap share increase from 48% to a season-high 68% in week 12, with Josh Oliver inactive. His route participation also increased to 86%, also a season-high, up from 71%. It appears his ramp-up period from his ACL injury is almost over, although he was playing 80-90% of the snaps last season, so there is some potential increased usage going forward. Like Addison, if defenses continue to take away Jefferson, fantasy managers can expect some huge games from the Viking’s tight end. Even with Jefferson acting as the alpha WR1, Hockenson should be a top-six TE for the rest of the season as he has proven his ability to have monster games, even as the second option in the passing game.