Cardinals @ Vikings
Final Score: Vikings 23 – Cardinals 22
Writer: Jesse Maida
The Arizona Cardinals choked away a 19-6 lead with 20 minutes remaining as the Minnesota Vikings defense was able to keep the game close, allowing only one touchdown on five Kyler Murray red zone trips. After being held to only six first-half points by a red-hot Cardinals defense, Sam Darnold led his team to three consecutive scoring drives to end the game, including two touchdown passes. The Vikings QB outplayed Kyler Murray, who threw two fourth-quarter INTs, one of which stalled the Cardinals’ comeback. The Vikings improve to 10-2 with Kirk Cousins making his return to Minnesota next week, while the Cardinals failed to keep pace with the division-leading Seahawks, who they host next week.
Three Up
- Trey McBride – The first TE in NFL history to have 12+ receptions in back-to-back games. He’s a league winner if he can find the end zone, and maybe even if he doesn’t.
- Cardinals D/ST – Allowed 23 points but had five sacks with a turnover. This defensive unit has 19 sacks in the last four games with a juicy playoff schedule.
Three Down
- Jordan Addison – Outside of last week’s monster performance, Addison averages 3.2 receptions in nine games. He has less than five receptions in 8/10 games on the season and looks like a TD or bust option going forward.
- Justin Jefferson – JJ is still elite, and you always start him, but he’s in a slump. He ranks outside the top 40 WRs in PPG over the past four weeks. No TDs since week 7, no top-12 weekly finishes since week 9, and has not seen double-digit targets since week 5.
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Kyler Murray: 31/45 260 Yards, TD, 2 INT | 7 Carries, 48 Yards
For the second week in a row, Kyler Murray set a season-high in pass attempts, but once again, this increased passing volume led to an underwhelming fantasy performance. Murray left plenty of fantasy points on the field this week, settling for five field goals, four of which were on drives that entered the red zone, with the other stalling at the 23-yard line. However, unlike last week, Murray was able to throw a touchdown pass while adding 48 yards on the ground, salvaging his fantasy day. Murray’s recent fantasy production is almost entirely reliant on his rushing production, as he’s only thrown two touchdowns vs. three interceptions over the last four weeks, making him a risky start next week against a hot Seahawks defense.
Running Back
James Conner: 17 Carries, 68 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 13 Yards
Fresh off a new contract extension, James Conner surpassed his rushing total from last week (8 yards) on his first two carries, which went for 12 total yards. Arizona’s lead back was heavily involved to start the game, totaling 20 yards on four carries and one reception on the very first drive. Conner’s efficiency greatly improved after an abysmal previous two-week stretch where he rushed for 41 yards on 19 carries. He had multiple impressive runs, showcasing his elite tackle-breaking ability against a tough defense, but was limited to 81 total yards and kept out of the end zone, likely keeping him out of the top-24 RBs this week for only the third time this season. After Benson had ten carries in week 10 and 33% of the backfield carries after the bye in week 12, Conner regained his workhorse role, handling 74% of the backfield touches. Conner has a tough matchup in week 14 vs. a Seattle defense, which just limited him to eight yards rushing, but he has a fantastic playoff schedule where he has a real chance to perform like a low-end RB1.
Trey Benson: 3 Carries, 20 yards
Trey Benson picked up 10 yards on a nice rush during the game’s opening drive but only saw two touches the rest of the game. He did not earn a target for the second straight game and will remain a handcuff to James Conner.
Emari Demercado: 3 Carries, 12 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception
Emari Demercado touched the ball more than rookie Trey Benson and will have deep league PPR value if something were to happen to Conner due to his receiving role.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Trey McBride: 12 Targets, 12 Receptions, 96 Yards
Trey McBride had a career-high 12 receptions on 15 targets last week against Seattle and followed that performance by catching all 12 of his targets against Minnesota, matching his career-high. Arizona’s star tight end has a dominant 33% target share over the past two weeks, averaging 23.45 fantasy points. He is in the conversation for the overall TE1 every week, even if he doesn’t score a touchdown. If the touchdowns come, McBride may go on one of those legendary runs that carry you to a fantasy championship. He has been the most reliable playmaker on offense all season, especially these past two weeks, and it’s absurd that he has yet to score a touchdown this season. McBride is only 13 receptions away from tying Diontae Johnson’s single-season record for most receptions without a receiving touchdown, and at this rate, the record may be broken next week.
Marvin Harrison Jr.: 12 Targets, 5 Receptions, 60 Yards, TD
Pre-game, head coach Jonathan Gannon said they were going to get their rookie WR more involved after the 4th overall pick had only ten catches over the past three games. At first, the coach speaking detector determined that was a lie as Marvin Harrison Jr. did not have a reception until 1-minute left in the first half. However, in the second half, MHJ was targeted eight times, securing four receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown. Harrison had a season-high 12 targets, tying McBride for the lead. However, a majority of the targets were contested, which is the reason for the low catch rate. His lack of receptions hurts him in PPR leagues, but in 0.5 PPR or PPFD leagues, Harrison is a much better option, especially with his ability to find the end zone. He now leads all rookies in receiving touchdowns with seven, accounting for 53% of Kyler Murray’s passing touchdowns. If Gannon and Murray continue to feed Harrison double-digit targets, he may be a real difference-maker in the fantasy playoffs.
Michael Wilson: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 55 Yards
Michael Wilson earned seven targets, his most since week four. The primary reason for the increased target volume was due to Kyler Murray attempting a season-high 45 pass attempts, but Wilson made several tough catches and played well enough to earn more targets in future games. Unfortunately, there are not enough passing touchdowns in this offense to support two pass catchers weekly; sometimes, there’s not enough overall volume to even support two pass catchers. Wilson remains a better real-life player than a fantasy option.
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Sam Darnold: 21/31, 235 Yards, 2 TD | 4 Carries, 22 Yards
After being held to just six first-half points, Darnold was able to break through against a tough Cardinals’ defense, leading his team to three consecutive scoring drives to end the game, including two passing touchdowns. Surrounded by elite weapons all over, Darnold has thrown for multiple touchdowns in three straight games and five of the last six games. He also chipped in 22 rushing yards, which tied Aaron Jones and Cam Akers for the lead on the day. Darnold faced pressure often but was able to make clutch throws when it mattered, often looking for Justin Jefferson. The upcoming schedule isn’t great for Darnold, but he’s been one of the most consistent options at the QB position all season and should continue to perform as a low-end QB1 down the stretch.
Running Back
Aaron Jones: 5 Carries, 22 Yards, FUM(L) | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 6 Yards, TD>
Aaron Jones fumbled on the first Vikings’ offensive play of the game, but it was recovered by Minnesota. The eight-year veteran was right back out there for the second drive and once again fumbled on the first play of the possession, this time resulting in a turnover that led to a Cardinals field goal. He was benched the next two possessions, with Cam Akers and Ty Chandler getting one drive each to themselves. Trailing 19-6 with 20 minutes remaining, the Vikings went pass-heavy, limiting Jones to only five carries, but he bailed out fantasy managers with what would end up being a game-winning touchdown reception with 3 minutes left. The mini-benching led to Jones only playing 51% of snaps, and it is unlikely his role will be affected going forward, but Cam Akers may see a little more usage next week.
#Vikings Week 13 RB Usage
– Aaron Jones: 51% snaps, 5 carries, 14 routes, 4 targets (28 yds, TD)
– Cam Akers: 31% snaps, 4 carries, 0 targets (22 yds)
– Ty Chandler: 10% snaps, 2 carries, 0 targets (2 yds)TD salvaged the day for Jones but do not like the usage at all
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) December 1, 2024
Cam Akers: 4 Carries, 22 Yards
Due to Aaron Jones’ fumbling issues, Akers saw some extra usage, playing 31% of snaps, up from 15% last week. He gained 22 yards on his four touches and remains a low-tier handcuff option.
Ty Chandler: 2 Carries, 2 Yards
Like Akers, Chandler had increased usage due to Aaron Jones fumbling twice. Chandler played 10% of the snaps, his highest snap share since week 10.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Justin Jefferson: 9 Targets, 7 Receptions, 99 Yards
Justin Jefferson gained 99 yards this week, surpassing 1,000 on the season for the fifth straight season to start his career. The Vikings’ superstar wideout has been the model of consistency since entering the league, including the start this season, where he ranked as WR2 overall from weeks 1-9, averaging 19.7 PPR fantasy points. Even with nearly 17 points this week, Jefferson has left fantasy managers wanting more, failing to rank as a top-12 WR for the 4th straight week. In these four weeks, Jefferson has yet to surpass 100 yards in a game or score a touchdown Jefferson hasn’t scored since week 7. In these four weeks, Jefferson ranks outside the top 40 WRs in fantasy points per game, which coincides with Hockenson’s return. Jefferson is still elite, creating 3+ yards of separation on six of his targets, but fantasy managers need to come to terms with the fact Jefferson may not have a WR1 overall ceiling anymore.
Jordan Addison: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 54 Yards
After exploding for eight receptions, 162 yards, and a touchdown on nine targets last week, Addison came back to Earth against the Cardinals. In week 12, the Bears took away Jefferson and let the other pass catchers beat them, of which Addison was the main beneficiary. Outside of last week, Addison has only caught more than four receptions once, averaging 3.2 receptions over those nine contests. There is not enough volume to support three pass catchers in this offense, especially with one of those options being Justin Jefferson, which makes Addison a TD or bust option going forward.
T.J. Hockenson: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 28 Yards
Like Addison, Hockenson disappointed us after a monster week-12 performance where the Bears dared every pass-catcher other than Jefferson to beat them. Jefferson commanded a 29% target share this week, leaving Addison and Hockenson with 19% each. There isn’t much to take away from this performance, as Hockenson is still a top-6 weekly tight-end option, but when Jefferson operates as the alpha WR, there usually isn’t enough volume for three pass-catchers to have fantasy success in the same game.
Johnny Mundt: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 22 Yards, TD
Mundt scored a wide-open touchdown after a Cardinals defender fell, leaving Mundt all alone in the end zone.