Minnesota Vikings vs Buffalo Bills
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterbacks
- Kyle Sloter: 16/24, 163 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
- Jake Browning: 8/10, 46 yards, 1 interception
Kyle Sloter is a 3rd-year quarterback out of Northern Colorado that played most of the game for the Vikings. Sloter led the Vikings to several scoring drives with a conservative style that featured the tight ends often, though he did throw one bad interception into the heart of the Bills coverage. The Vikings backup quarterback situation is less than ideal with Sloter and Sean Mannion as the options, so an injury to the durable Kirk Cousins would likely be a major blow to the Vikings offense.
Running Backs
- De’Angelo Henderson: 16 carries, 59 yards, 1 touchdown | 1 reception, 8 yards
- Ameer Abdullah: 5 carries, 21 yards | 1 reception, 15 yards, 1 touchdown
- Mike Boone: 6 carries, 19 yards | 1 reception, 6 yards
Mike Boone got the start for the Vikings and mixed in early on, but didn’t show anything noteworthy outside of a tackle on a hustle play after a fumble by Sloter that was ultimately ruled an incomplete pass. After Boone was preseason hero Ameer Abdullah, who scored a touchdown on 3rd and 2 in the red zone off of a wheel route where he looked very capable, though the Bills defense was lacking on the play. De’Angelo Henderson came in towards the end of the first half and soaked up a significant amount of carries, eventually scoring a touchdown in the second half. None of the running backs looked to be any threat to the depth chart ahead of them, however, as Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison are the clear fantasy-relevant backs in Minnesota, who both got the night off on Thursday.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Brandon Dillon: 5 receptions, 48 yards
- Laquon Treadwell: 3 receptions, 30 yards
- Cole Hikutini: 4 receptions, 45 yards
- Brandon Zylstra: 2 receptions, 24 yards
Laquon Treadwell started for the Vikings and looked serviceable against the backups. He caught a pass from Sloter on the first three and out and had a nice possession catch on 3rd and 9 on the second drive, breaking a tackle for the first down. Outside of Treadwell, the Vikings quarterbacks targeted an array of indistinguishable tight ends in the passing game, with Brandon Dillon and Cole Hikutini leading the way. None of the fantasy-relevant Vikings pass-catchers saw work in this one; if Sloter ever became quarterback during the regular season, Kyle Rudolph would be the closest fit to his most common targets in this one.
Buffalo Bills
Quarterbacks
- Tyree Jackson: 22/33, 175 yards, 1 touchdown | 8 carries, 78 yards, 1 TD
The Bills played one quarterback on Thursday night, the mobile Tyree Jackson. Competing for a spot on the practice squad, Jackson primarily threw short passes and scrambled when he could. He led a furious comeback as the Bills came from down 23-6 in the second half to win 27-23 and move to 4-0 on the preseason. Most of the comeback, however, was fueled by the return game and the screen game, as Jackson failed to push the ball down the field. Matt Barkley likely remains the clear backup to quarterback Josh Allen.
Running Backs
- Marcus Murphy: 8 carries, 27 yards | 2 receptions, 10 yards | 79-yard punt return touchdown
- Christian Wade: 5 carries, 15 yards | 3 receptions, 7 yards
None of LeSean McCoy, Frank Gore, Devin Singletary, or T.J. Yeldon played in this one, leaving Marcus Murphy and Christian Wade carrying the load. Neither impressed at all, except for Murphy in the return game, where his 79-yard punt return sparked the Bills big comeback. In the coming week, fantasy owners will look to this backfield to see if any of the veterans are released. McCoy and Yeldon have been rumored to be on the chopping block, with Yeldon’s release opening up a significant passing game role. It is hard to devote many resources to this backfield; we know Gore will be around all year to steal carries, Singletary will have a role as the 3rd round rookie, and at least one of McCoy or Yeldon will likely further split the work. This feels like a backfield waiting for an injury to clear things up.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Ray-Ray McCloud: 5 receptions, 48 yards
- D’haquille Williams: 2 catches, 18 yards
- Nick Easley: 4 catches, 41 yards
- Jason Croom: 2 catches, 27 yards
With John Brown, Zay Jones, Cole Beasley, and return specialist Andre Roberts sitting in this one, the Bills the roster battle featured the secondary receivers, as noted by the Bills broadcasters. Notably, Ray-Ray McCloud, D’haquille “Duke” Williams, Isaiah McKenzie, and Robert Foster were the players battling for a spot on the roster. McKenzie and Foster did not make it onto the stat sheet, a discouraging sign for their chances, though Foster did have an excellent play on special teams that the coaches wanted to see from him. McCloud looked the best of the group, as the 5’9” 190-pound wide receiver looked fast and shifty catching screens, including a big 30-yard catch on a screen on 3rd down in the middle of the Bills comeback. Williams is a big physical receiver unlike any of the Bills other options at the position who had flashed earlier in the preseason but didn’t stand out in this one. All of the options are likely far enough down the depth chart to lack fantasy relevance but could be useful if injuries hit the position.
-Erik Smith