The Minnesota Vikings will face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Vikings skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 13 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Sam Darnold, QB
Sam Darnold has been a QB1 in three of his past four starts and a top-15 signal-caller in five of his past six. I was encouraged by his willingness to challenge the Bears last week with players not named Justin Jefferson — if he can spread the ball around, that is how he can continue to offer a nice fantasy floor.
The increased health of T.J. Hockenson makes Darnold a viable option in deeper leagues, though I’m still approaching this profile with caution. His efficiency has fallen off a cliff lately (under 65% completion rate in three straight games after reaching at least 72% in three consecutive games), and while the long scores have bailed him out, that’s a dangerous way to live.
I’d rather play Bo Nix (vs. CLE) or Jared Goff (vs. CHI) when it comes to low-end QB1s this week.
Aaron Jones, RB
Aaron Jones had himself an up-and-down Week 12 in Chicago, but he finished with 129 yards and a score, a level of production we will take every single time.
Jones lost a goal-line fumble on the first drive, but the team didn’t blink and continued to bank on him as their bellcow. He rewarded them with a 41-yard run later in the first half and, when all was said and done, his third RB1 finish of the season.
I still think Cam Akers is a handcuff back work rostering, but this isn’t a committee, and the safe volume is going to land Jones inside of my top 20 every week moving forward. The Cardinals are allowing points on 43.7% of opponent drives this season (seventh-worst) and the Vikings project to be dictating the tempo in this spot.
Cam Akers, RB
Cam Akers remains the definitive handcuff to Aaron Jones and nothing more. He’ll slide into the back end of my RB2 rankings should Jones end up missing time for any reason, but he’ll remain comfortably outside of my top 30 any week that’s not the case, and that’s where we stand right now.
Jordan Addison, WR
Jordan Addison scored in three of four November games, posting top-25 finishes at the position in all three of those instances. On Sunday, he made a falling 45-yard grab (a drive he’d eventually finish with a touchdown) and then showcased elite balance on a 69-yard gain in which he bounced off tacklers.
I’d argue that Week 12’s performance was very much a ceiling outcome and not something that you can count on. That said, I don’t think this is the last time that defenses allocate most of their resources toward Justin Jefferson, and that opens up Addison for usable weeks.
In this matchup specifically, I think we see completely different usage, thus resulting in a narrower range of outcomes. This season, Addison’s aDOT dips by 21.3% when Sam Darnold is not pressured, and with this being the fourth-worst defense in terms of creating pressure, I’m projecting a more conservative route.
That thought process talks me out of him repeating his 8-162-1 stat line from last week, but if we are looking at six to nine looks that are more efficient, starting him as a low-end PPR Flex is a justifiable move.
Justin Jefferson, WR
Justin Jefferson didn’t have a catch through the first 18 minutes on Sunday, but this is a good reminder that these are human beings, not just names on a sheet of paper. On one hand, we have Malik Nabers’ frustration bubbling over in a losing spot; on the other, we have Minnesota’s star:
I’m not sweating the down weeks (two catches for 27 yards), but Week 15’s rematch with the Bears could be a problem. We will get there when we get there (even with the script working as it did last week, he drew a 35-yard penalty that could be a play that adds 10+ points to his bottom line if not committed), but you’re not getting cute here.
For what it’s worth, I do have Jefferson ranked as one of the worst per-dollar DFS options this week among those with high-end price tags. I don’t have volume concerns, but Sam Darnold is trending in the wrong direction despite the team’s success, and that has resulted in Jefferson producing 29.8% below expectations over the past three weeks.
T.J. Hockenson, TE
After totaling 112 yards in his first three games of the season, T.J. Hockenson burned the Bears for 114 yards on nine targets (seven catches) in the Week 12 win. In a game that came down to the wire, I loved to see the star TE account for 60% of Minnesota’s receiving yards in the fourth quarter of a close game, and I am comfortable locking him in as a top-10 producer the rest of the way.
The late-game usage was encouraging, and so was the Vikings’ willingness to extend his routes downfield. Hockenson posted a 10.1 aDOT last week, fueling two chunk gains (20 and 34 yards), giving him access to a nice ceiling to complement his stable floor.