Fantasy Football Rankings 2018: Vikings’ most tantalizing draft targets

4. WRs Adam Thielen/Stefon Diggs

Current ADP: 27/33.8

Chances are you were expecting one or both of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs to be higher on this list, and rightfully so. They’re one of the best receiver duos in the league, and both were extremely productive a season ago. The addition of Kirk Cousins should only help their cause, right?

Well yes, that is true. The hiring of John DeFilippo might not, though.

Historically, DeFilippo’s offenses have had a knack for feeding tight ends and running backs in the passing game. Let me run it down for you: in 2014, Mychal Rivera (a fringe NFL talent) had 58 receptions, 534 yards and four touchdowns; in 2015, Gary Barnidge and Duke Johnson had nearly as many receptions as the Cleveland Browns’ top three wide receivers; in 2017, Zach Ertz was the Philadelphia Eagles’ leader in catches despite missing two games.

Now we can dissect those situations and probably find some underlying causes. However, the point I’m trying to make is that DeFilippo teaches spreading the ball around.

With that said, both Thielen and Diggs are absolutely worth drafting. They both racked up solid fantasy numbers a season ago, and should see similar success with Cousins under center. Just don’t expect them to light it up on a weekly basis with DeFilippo likely implementing a quick-release approach to counteract the suspect front five.

The fact that one takes targets away from the other and vice versa also slightly hurts their value.