Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, January 5th, 2024, 8:20 PM ET
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Network: NBC
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Sam Darnold: Start, QB1
We will see a lot of solid starts in this game, thanks to the stakes and the strengths of these offenses. First up is Sam Darnold, who is in the midst of a career revival in Minnesota and now faces a Lions defense suffering from injuries. The Lions have allowed QBs like Caleb Williams and Brock Purdy to rack up yards and touchdowns in recent weeks, so Darnold is a strong QB1 play in a week where the NFC North crown and playoff BYE are on the line.
Running Back
Aaron Jones Sr.: Start, RB1
Cam Akers: FLEX Option, RB4
While Aaron Jones Sr. remains the primary option in this backfield, Cam Akers has been a vulture on multiple occasions this year, most recently in Week 17’s victory over the Packers. Still, we know which basket to put our eggs in for this matchup. In a game that should feature plenty of scoring, Jones profiles as a back-end RB1 as the lead back for the Vikings, while Akers is a TD-or-bust RB4 option at best. While the Lions’ run defense has remained fairly stout, Jones has a solid enough workload and passing game involvement to return value as a strong play this week.
Wide Receiver
Justin Jefferson: Start, WR1
Jordan Addison: Start, WR2
Jalen Nailor: FLEX Option, WR4
Justin Jefferson has made a career out of torching the Lions in seasons past and now faces one of the most depleted units in the NFL. Jefferson is in a prime position for another huge game and is a top-3 option at the position this week. Things look pretty good for the rest of Minnesota’s pass-catchers as well. Jordan Addison is riding a four-game streak of 8+ targets and has consistently delivered back-end WR/high-end FLEX production in that span. His value is higher this week with a few players sitting across the league and the great matchup, so he’s a WR2 for Week 18. Jalen Nailor has also mixed in as a dart-throw FLEX play this year, and this week is a better chance than most to be a boom. He has deep league FLEX viability in the regular season finale.
Tight End
T.J. Hockenson: Start, TE1
While he’s yet to find the end zone this year, the usage for T.J. Hockenson has at least been consistent enough to recommend him as a start once again this week. He’s a mid-range TE1 in this showdown against his former team and should be motivated to put up a solid performance to finish the season.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: Start, QB1
Much like his opponent, Jared Goff is a strong QB1 for this game. Goff is riding a streak of four straight games with 3+ TDs and now faces a Vikings defense that allows the fourth-most passing yards per game. This matchup has shootout written all over it, and with David Montgomery on the mend, the Lions have been scoring through the air more frequently. Fire up Goff as a QB1 this week once again.
Running Back
Jahymr Gibbs: Start, RB1
Craig Reynolds: Sit
We’ll keep this one simple–Jahmyr Gibbs is a locked-in RB1 as an elite playmaker in an elite offense. The Vikings have one of the best run defenses in the league, but Gibbs is matchup-proof and should deliver a ton of points this week once again. Keep Craig Reynolds on your benches, though–he’s not quite a substitute Knuckles.
Wide Receiver
Amon-Ra St. Brown: Start, WR1
Jameson Williams: Start, WR2
Tim Patrick: FLEX Option, WR4
The viability of Detroit’s wide receivers mirrors Minnesota’s pretty well. Their WR1, Amon-Ra St. Brown, is a locked-in WR1 most weeks and will be again against the team that allows the most points to WRs in the league. He has the safest floor of the bunch, but the ceiling for Jameson Williams is sky-high after a couple of boom weeks. He can be started as a rock-solid WR2 with WR1 upside. I have him ranked just ahead of Addison this week. Finally, Tim Patrick is having a great career resurgence in Detroit, but he’s a deep league FLEX option for the final week of the regular season. The floor is too low to trust him as anything else.
Tight End
Sam LaPorta: Start, TE1
Things have really turned around for Sam LaPorta, who has five consecutive top-10 TE finishes after beginning the season very slow. With a few players sitting around the league, LaPorta would be a TE1 almost by default, but he should be a top-5 option in this week’s crucial game. Fire him up with confidence.