Getty Gallery: 3/5
Optimal Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Trey Burton ($8,700)
– Kirk Cousins ($9,800)
– Stefon Diggs ($9,600)
– Dalvin Cook ($8,000)
– Tarik Cohen ($7,400)
– Anthony Miller ($6,400)
I was fully prepared not to use much of Kirk Cousins on this slate, yet here we are. While I fully expect Cousins to throw a few picks against the Bears defense, I also think the Vikings will be playing from behind. That's beneficial for a quarterback, obviously, and especially when the opposing defense has allowed 17 passing touchdowns on the year.
While I don't think Cousins is going to break the slate, I can see him tossing two touchdowns and hitting a solid yardage total if playing catch up. Plus, pairing him with Stefon Diggs, who should have a strong night against a Bears team who's struggled against outside receivers could lead to a few big plays with double fantasy points.
The Dalvin Cook spot is interesting to me. The running back returned ahead of the team's bye week and only played 57 percent of the offensive snaps (per Football Outsiders), which was expected. The Vikings were wise to ease him back into the mix, but he still ripped off a 70-yard run and finished the day with 15 touches for 109 yards.
I think many people are going to be a bit off Cook due to the lowered snap count (which will increase) and the matchup with the Bears. But Cook not only has multi-touchdown upside, but he's going to catch passes as well. I'm fine with his spot, even against a tough Bears defense. I think his floor isn't bad and his ceiling is pretty high.
I'll dive into Tarik Cohen and Anthony Miller as we roll along because I'm a big fan of both players. Their upside is tremendous and they help to round out a lineup that could feature a few lower-owned players. Both of these guys should be chalk, assuming fantasy players opt to go off how exceptional the Vikings have been against running backs on the ground.
Trey Burton is in a very good spot and although he's seen just 11 targets in the past three games, he's consistent in hauling them in. The Vikings have a solid all-around defense, but have struggled against tight ends, specifically as of late. On the year, they've allowed 533 yards and three touchdowns to the position and I think Burton adds to those numbers in a big way in Week 11.
Let's look at the 150-max lineup which has quite a few my favorite plays, but also one or two players with slightly more risk.