Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, December 26th at 1:00 PM ET
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Betting Odds: MIN +3, 49.5 total via Oddsshark
Network: FOX
Los Angles Rams
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford (Start, QB1)
There isn’t much to say here. Matthew Stafford has 35 touchdowns which are second in the league. He has 4142 yards which put him 3rd in the league. He does get the Vikings defense which is horrible against the pass so with all the firepower at Stafford’s disposal, he will still get his points. He has only 3 games with under 2 touchdowns and has thrown 3 or more in 8 games including the last 3. He also only has 10 interceptions on the year. The Rams are right in the hunt for the playoffs and their division. It should be a week where Stafford gives fantasy owners the great return on investment meant they have seen all season.
Running Backs
Darrell Henderson (Start, Flex), Sony Michel (Start RB2)
So much has been said about the Rams trades this year for Von Miller and Odell Beckham but the trade for Sony Michel might be the biggest one of the year. Michel got the opportunity to start when Darrell Henderson went down with an injury in week 12. The former first-round pick didn’t give the starting job back to Henderson when he returned in week 15. Michel has rushed for 292 yards since taking the starting job. Most fantasy owners were very curious what the workload share would look like with Henderson returning in week 15 and we had to wait till Tuesday to find out. What we got was a and 18 to 6 in Sony’s favor. With those carries, both backs got 2 targets and receptions but Michel was able to convert his into 23 yards compared to Henderson’s 4 yards. It looks like Sony is now the lead back in L.A. and should continue to be. Henderson still holds value. He was the lead back and could take that role back over at any time. Going against a fairly weak run defense the Ram’s should be able to get both backs plenty of work.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Cooper Kupp (Start, RB1), Van Jefferson (Start, WR2), Odell Beckham Jr (Start, Flex), Tyler Higbee (Start)
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. You are starting Cooper Kupp. He leads the league in targets, receptions, yards, touchdowns, yards after the catch, and first downs. Now you have to look at Van Jefferson and Odell Beckham. Both have played well since Robert Woods went down with an injury. Jefferson has been the big-play receiver averaging 16.33 yards per reception on the year and over the past 4 weeks is up to 16.53 per reception. He has also seen a healthy amount of targets over the past 4 weeks, 22 in total. Odell Beckham has been consistent for the Rams since their week 11 bye week. He has posted over 10 fantasy points in 3 out of the 4 weeks and flirted with 20 two of those weeks. He is averaging 13.78 yards per reception and has scored in 3 of the last four games. I think all 3 wide receivers are worth starting in this matchup. With the division title now a possibility for the Rams they will be looking to secure victories early. I think tight end Tyler Higbee is an okay start but I’m not 100% sold on him. If I had a better option I would go with it. He hasn’t seen the endzone since week 10 and only has 3 scores on the season. His volume is low and even in week 9 when he saw 10 targets he caught 5 of them for only 51 yards. Its serviceable numbers for a fantasy tight end but lacks the real upside. I also think receivers like Tutu Atwell and Ben Skowronek arent worth rostering outside of dynasty formats
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Kirk Cousins (Start, QB1)
Kirk Cousins, despite the Viking record, has been good. He has 29 touchdowns on the year and only 6 interceptions. He has the Vikings in the mix for a playoff spot and has 2 divisional games left. He is poised to have a great season. The issue is that he has to face the Rams in week 16. CBS has the Rams ranked 7th in giving up points to the quarterback position. It’s not a great matchup for Cousins. Even with him protecting the ball more he doesn’t have the yardage upside this season. He has 5 games over 300 yards and two of them over 350 yards. He also hasn’t had any big touchdown games. He is just the model of consistency. I’m still starting him this week due to the Rams being able to put up points. The Vikings might have to play from behind and Cousins should be getting all his weapons back and even if he doesn’t he is good for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns. I wouldn’t fault you for starting others over him but I think at this point in your season you are probably locked in at the QB position.
Running Backs
Dalvin Cook (Start, RB1), Alexander Mattison (Sit), Kene Nwangwu (Sit)
In a world where running backs have been getting hurt and sharing the backfield, it’s been really nice to see the volume that Dalvin Cook has had over the past 2 weeks. He has got 27 and 28 carries over the past 2 games. He has turned those into a 205 yard, 2 score game and an 89-yard game. He has gotten that volume in part to Alexander Mattison being on the Covid list for week 15. Mattison looks to return in week 16. With Mattison back on the field, it makes Kene Nwangwu irrelevant outside of kick returns. He has shown promise. The Rams are weaker against the run than they are the pass and the Vikings have shown a commitment to it even when they are down. I expect Cook to get his and have a productive day. I expect 20 carries out of him and to have a decent yards per attempt average. Mattison only has value as a handcuff right now and can’t be started unless Cook is going to miss the game. Cook has also been used in the passing game which has added to his value. His touchdowns are down from last year but his yardage has kept him in the top 10 fantasy running backs when he plays.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
Justin Jefferson (Start, WR1), K.J. Osborn (Sit, Flex), Tyler Conklin (Sit, Flex), Adam Thielen (Sit)
I’m going to start by saying that I think Adam Thielen is going to miss this game. If he does play I expect him to be limited and more of a decoy. There is NO way you are benching Justin Jefferson. He is on pace to have the best first 2 years for a receiver that the NFL has ever seen. He has 9 touchdowns on the season and one in each of the last 3 games. He has seen double-digit targets in all but 6 games this year. He is averaging 9.7 targets per game. Defenses are double covering him but still can’t stop him. Even against a tough matchup with the Rams, Jefferson will find a way to get open. K.J. Osborn has done well for himself since Thielen went out with an injury. His snap percentage has gone from the 50% range to the 85% range. I expect you can get one more week of that with Thielen out or limited. He isn’t getting a ton of volume but is a touchdown threat scoring 4 on the season and 3 in the past 3 games. I wouldn’t be starting him unless you are desperate in your flex spot. Tight end Tyler Conklin has had such an up and down season it makes it hard to stat him. I would consider rolling him out as a low-end TE1 in this game but I would want to find other options. His snaps have dropped off the past two weeks and he only has 3 touchdowns on the season and two of them came in one week.
– Dustin Ludke (Dunit13dl on Reddit, theDunit13 on Twitter)