Getty Gallery: 2/5
Optimal Lineup No. 1
– CAPTAIN: Kirk Cousins ($13,500)
– Jared Goff ($10,800)
– Adam Thielen ($9,800)
– Robert Woods ($7,000)
– Kyle Rudolph ($5,600)
– Laquon Treadwell
I'm incredibly interested to find out what type of ownership Kirk Cousins, who costs $1,800 less in regular salary than Jared Goff, garnishes on this slate. While Cousins had a rough game against the Buffalo Bills last week, he'll face a Los Angeles Rams secondary dealing with multiple injuries.
With cornerbacks Aqib Talib (out) and Marcus Peters (questionable) both iffy to play, it not only makes Cousins an intriguing option but also his top pass-catchers as well. In this spot, I'm attacking that with Adam Thielen, who's quickly proven to be one of the most reliable and talented wideouts in the league. Not only that, but he's flashed upside a swell, topping 27.5 DraftKings points in each of the past two games.
Thielen has seen a ridiculous 44 targets over three weeks, so we have a pretty good idea of where Cousins likes to look first when dropping back.
In this lineup, I chose to go with a pairing of Goff and Robert Woods on the opposite side of the ball. While the Vikings have been solid against both quarterbacks and wide receivers, it hasn't been so incredible that I refuse to target players against them, especially in a primetime home game.
I chose Woods over Cooper Kupp in this spot due to his upside, which was wildly apparent last week as he caught 10 passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Even if we don't see a performance of that magnitude, his price tag still makes this a solid play. On the season, the Vikings have allowed 35 receptions for 352 yards and two touchdowns to receivers.
Kyle Rudolph is a name I'll likely look to attack quite a bit on this showdown slate. As great as the Rams are as a defensive unit, they've given up the fourth-most yards to opposing tight ends (268) this season. With both Talib and Peters potentially out, the defense will be busy trying to keep Thielen and Stefon Diggs from going wild, which should benefit Rudolph.
For the final spot, I went back-and-forth between Rams kicker Sam Ficken and Laquon Treadwell. Ficken offers the higher floor and is a safer play, while Treadwell has a bit more upside and should bring low ownership. My thought process is similar to what I mentioned with Rudolph about the secondary injuries for the Rams, so I'll take my chance on Treadwell in a few lineups, with this being one.
And for those wondering, don't worry, I'm rolling out plenty of Todd Gurley in lineups, just not this one.