Vikings vs. Packers
Vikings
Ah…what can I say…ties really suck. And so does the Vikings kicker, Daniel Carlson, a rookie out of Auburn. After going 1-1 in the opener he went an abysmal 0 for 3 in this one, the last one being the potential game-winner in overtime from 35 yards out, little more than an extra point. The game vs the Packers ended in a 29-29 tie as we now have 2 ties in as many weeks to kick off the season. Daniel Carlson needs to apologize to Kirk Cousins, Stefon Diggs, and Adam Thielen for ruining a spectacular day that saw them dismantle the helpless Packers defense all day. After that, he needs to go try out to be the goalie for Minnesota United FC since apparently all he is good at is keeping points OFF the board.
Now let’s get to the players that actually mattered in this game.
Kirk Cousins was an animal in this game. Aside from a very costly interception late in the fourth quarter, he showed great poise and chemistry with his wide receivers. He ended up throwing for 425 yards and 4 TDs on the day with two going to Stefon Diggs, one to Adam Thielen, and one to Laquon Treadwell. Cousins also found Kyle Rudolph for 72 yards on 7 grabs. It was a great day all around for Captain Kirk and this is an offense that will be humming all year.
The WRs were once again sensational. My man-crush Adam Thielen went for a ridiculous 12 catches for 131 yards and 1 TD. He was getting open with ease, only missing on one target. This touchdown was an insane hookup that looked like the ball had dropped straight from heaven into the waiting arms of Thielen, where only the Football Gods could have placed the ball.
[gfycat data_id=”DenseMerryCavy”]
I will be tooting this guy’s horn all season and if you can put together a package for Thielen in your league, do it. Make that owner sick of you offering. You won’t be disappointed if you get him or her to budge.
I also wouldn’t mind you going after Stefon Diggs who will be a favorite TD machine of Kirk Cousins this season. If he stays healthy for 16 games, we could realistically see him push for 12-14 touchdowns. He is that good at getting the ball into the endzone. We will see if he stays healthy, but I never like to count people out just because they have a history. Diggs ended up with 9 catches for 128 yards and 2 TDs, one of which was a 75 yard BOMB from Cousins.
I like for Thielen and Diggs to both push for WR1 numbers as long as they are healthy and for Cousins to push for top-5 QB numbers if his guys stay out there.
Luckily for the Vikings, they get to play the cupcake Buffalo Bills next time out and we should see them stay unbeaten, albeit with a tie, on the season. The real win here will be when Dan Bailey is wearing a purple uniform and Daniel Carlson is shining his shoes next weekend.
Here’s to hoping your fantasy team fared better than mine and that you have a great week!
-Matt Dean
Packers
Well, one team aired it out
Both Green Bay and Minnesota stuck to a pass-first game plan, making 40+ passing attempts each. After leading for most of four quarters, Green Bay watched as Minnesota tried to replicate Green Bay’s Week One fortunes – scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter, but ending in a tie after both teams missed a field goal. To Minnesota’s credit, it managed to hold Green Bay to one offensive touchdown and allowing five field goals. For fantasy purposes, Minnesota dominated with Kirk Cousins putting up 425 yards and 4 touchdowns. Cousins consolidated his targets between Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, and Kyle Rudolph, with the three combining for 332 yards and three touchdowns.
A Good Week Two for Jimmy Graham
After a silent Week One, Jimmy Graham came back strong bringing in six receptions on eight targets for a team-leading 95 yards (and would have had a touchdown too if not for an errant penalty). Graham was second in targets behind Davante Adams (12) and is more of what fantasy owners expected when they drafted Graham, expect more of the same in the coming weeks.
A Healthy Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams
Both Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams suited up on Sunday. Although Rodgers was clearly limited by his lingering knee injury, he managed to spread the ball around (four players with 5+ targets) for a mediocre 281 yards. Regardless of health, there was always the risk that Rodgers would have an only average game against a tough Minnesota defense and it compounded into a salvageable week. His fantasy value was given a boon by 12 targets and 8 receptions by Davante Adams for 64 yards and a touchdown. Adams’ longest reception was only 16 yards and was indicative of Rodgers’ play as a whole in Week Two, short yardage gains to keep the ball moving (although also likely spurred by Rodgers’ knee injury). A healthier Rodgers will only boost Adams’ fantasy value – this is about as close to Adams’ floor as it will get in 2018.
-Brennen Gorman