Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, November 29th at 4:05 PM ET
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
Betting Odds: MIN -4, 48.5 Total via Oddsshark
Network: FOX
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Teddy Bridgewater (Streamer)
Teddy Bridgewater missed last week against the Lions due to a knee injury, but there is optimism that he will be able to suit up this week. Bridgewater really took to being Drew Brees’ understudy last year and it is translating this year. Bridgewater is fifth in CPOE (per NextGenStats) and is second in adjusted completion percentage behind Bress (per PFF). Bridgewater will push the ball downfield more than Brees, but he still isn’t an aggressive passer. He is 23rd in deep passing rate (per PFF). The Vikings’ pass defense has steadily improved throughout the season after starting the year off looking like the worst in the league. They now sit 12th against the pass by DVOA (per Football Outsiders). Bridgewater is a decent streaming option this week with his strong supporting cast and accurate passing.
Running Backs
Mike Davis (Start, RB2)
Mike Davis has again taken over the Panthers’ backfield in Christian McCaffery’s absence. Davis ran incredibly hot in his first few games dominating the backfield but he has come back down to earth in the last couple of outings. He still handled 73% of the snaps last week (per PFF) but he hasn’t been able to convert the opportunities into a ton of production. You still cannot get away from that type of usage and he will still perform as a floor-based RB2 at worst. The Vikings defense has also been worse against the run than pass and sit at 19th against the run by DVOA (per Football Outsiders).
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Robby Anderson (Start, WR2), D.J. Moore (Start, Flex), Curtis Samuel (Start, Deep Flex)
D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson are pretty even on the season so far. They are tied in WOPR, though Moore has the lead in air yards (both per airyards.com). As he is the downfield target, Moore was the main beneficiary of P.J. Walker starting. Walker targetted Moore 11 times. Anderson still saw 8 targets but he has been used closer to the line of scrimmage this year. With Bridgewater likely returning, Anderson should see a bump this week. Also, it’s important to point out that Anderson should see some touchdown regression coming his way after having only one all year. Curtis Samuel’s usage has also risen in the last five weeks, in which he is averaging 9.2 combined targets and carries. He can be used in deeper formats this week.
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Kirk Cousins (Streamer)
While the Vikings’ offense revolves around the run game, Kirk Cousins is still having a pretty solid season. Cousins is second in the NFL in CPOE (per NextGenStats) and leads the league in yards per pass attempt (8.9 Y/A). Cousins has been incredibly efficient this year but his usefulness in fantasy depends on the amount of passing volume he gets. The Panthers’ defense is 21st against the pass by DVOA (per Football Outsiders) so they should not scare you away from using Cousins. If Cousins sees solid passing volume, he will end up as a solid streamer. Also, monitor Adam Thielen’s status.
Running Backs
Dalvin Cook (Start, RB1)
Dalvin Cook has been incredible since his return from injury and there is really nothing more to say. He leads the NFL in DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Over Replacement, a stat from Football Outsiders) and is fifth in the NFL in his percentage of runs that get more yards than expected (per NextGenStats). Against the Panthers’ 22nd ranked run defense (per Football Outsiders), there is nothing that should stop you from playing Cook (really nothing for the rest of the season).
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Adam Thielen (Start, WR1), Justin Jefferson (Start, WR2)
Adam Thielen was placed on the Covid list at the start of the week. There is still the chance that he suits up, but his situation should be monitored. Thielen is third in the NFL in WOPR (per PFF) and has been fantastic all season. If he’s available, he’s a must-start. Justin Jefferson is also getting into must-start territory. He does the majority of his damage on chunk plays and has been excellent after the catch. Jefferson is second in the NFL among WRs in YAC over expectation (per NextGenStats), only behind the Mack Truck that is A.J. Brown. If Thielen were to sit out, Jefferson immediately moves up to the WR1 range.
-Frank Costanzo (@FrankQBList on Twitter, Zzzonked92 on Reddit)