The 6-6 Atlanta Falcons visit the 10-2 Minesota Vikings with the return of Kirk Cousins in a potential high scoring battle between two NFC contenders. The Falcons need a rebound game, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also 6-6 and second in the NFC South. Atlanta does need this win to remain at the top of the division. However, the Vikings at 10-2 will also be trying to get the top seed in the NFC North if the 11- 1 Lions lose tonight in Detroit, who are playing the 9-3 Green Bay Packers for Thursday Night Football to kick off week 14.
Falcons at Vikings DFS Start ‘Ems
Here are a few of the players that we are leaning on heavily in this game. These players are in a good spot to put together a solid performance and have a favorable matchup.
Jordan Addison ($5.3K DraftKings, $6K Fanduel)
Addison has boom-bust potential but Jefferson has gotten a lot of attention and deservingly so. This could be a spot where the number two receiver has another blowup game. Last week, he had just 6 targets and 4 catches for 54 yards but Addison had double digit PPR points the two weeks prior. The young star receiver has had two 20+ point performances and that can be what you need to win in tournaments.
Darnell Mooney ($5.5K DraftKings, $5.9K Fanduel)
Mooney was not in practice due to resting his Achilles injury that he has been managing for a few weeks. But if he does play, I would expect a bounce-back spot to the pace he was on before week 11. In an advantageous matchup, Mooney has been a fantasy sleeper that has been great overall on the year and has had six double-digit finishes in PPR. However, he is coming off two single-digit efforts due to Cousins regressing somewhat. There is some risk involved but at the price point, it is worth chasing in this spot if London gets more attention against the Minnesota Vikings.
Falcons at Vikings DFS Sit ‘Ems
On the flip side of things, here are a few of the players we are sitting in this one.
Kyle Pitts ($4.1K DraftKings, $5.3K Fanduel)
Pitts has had a four-game stretch where he had single-digit points in PPR for fantasy. This was right after week 8 against the Bucs on Thursday Night, where he had 23 points. However, with the regression of Cousins, Pitts has also regressed in a massive way and is too risky of a start to predict a bounce-back game. This is a better matchup for the receivers with the Vikings defense regardless and he didn’t record a pass last week with just 2 targets.
T.J. Hockenson ($4.3K DraftKings, $6.3K Fanduel)
Although Hockenson can have a monster game like two weeks ago, last week against Arizona, he saw 6 targets and caught just 3 of them for 28 yards. He seems to be more of a boom-bust type player who has decent target volume but has to be efficient and land in the endzone. With Darnold potentially looking toward the receivers, this could be fewer chances for Hockenson to hit home for the Vikings.
Total Apex Lock of the Game
Sam Darnold ($6.1K DraftKings, $7.6K Fanduel)
Darnold has had three straight games with at least 2 passing touchdowns and against this Falcons defense that doesn’t pressure much, this could mean a big passing day for him. While Atlanta’s secondary is good, they give up more yards through the air than on the ground. Darnold could have a 300+ yard passing day and has a way better projection than Cousins.
Total Apex Fade of the Game
Kirk Cousins ($5.5K DraftKings, $7K Fanduel)
While there could be a revenge game narrative going on, Cousins is coming off a pitiful game where he threw 4 interceptions. The veteran always has a chance to pop off like Thursday Night against the Bucs earlier in the season. But that was a while ago and Minnesota’s defense is a top unit this year.
However, Cousins’ arm and mobility have always been a problem coming off his season-ending injury last season. If the Vikings’ pass rush gets to Cousins early and rattles him, it could get out of hand. This could be good for garbage time in a comeback effort or this could mean a potential Michael Penix Jr. sighting to end the game. Cousins is coming off three straight games with an interception.
Conclusion
Both running backs Bijan Robinson and Aaron Jones are playable but both run defenses make it tough. Robinson does get the receiving volume so he has a better floor than Jones, who saw a snap share dip last week due to fumbling. Justin Jefferson and Drake London are both obvious plays, as both pass defenses are weaknesses and give up one of the most yards to the wide receiver. However, due to the price point, the number two receivers are must-plays in combination as starts in this game.
