Fantasy Football Stock Watch: NFC North risers and fallers

Minnesota Vikings fantasy football stock watch

The Minnesota Vikings feature a new offensive coordinator in name only: Gary Kubiak assumes the role in 2020, so the returning assistant head coach will call plays for a team that already knows his offense. During his time as a head coach or offensive coordinator, Kubiak’s offenses have finished in the top 10 in yards an astonishing 17 times in 22 years; the odds of that trend continuing with a competent, capable veteran Kirk Cousins leading the huddle are high.

Cousins entered 2019 as a top 12 fantasy football quarterback in three of the four previous seasons. He finished as the QB15, despite being rested in Week 17 as the quarterback on a run-heavy offense.

After the loss of Stefon Diggs, a return to the top 12 this season seems an unlikely prospect for the former signal-caller of the Washington Football Team. However, Cousins is an excellent target in Superflex and 2-QB leagues due to his high floor.

The Vikings replaced Diggs in the first round of the NFL Draft by selecting LSU’s Justin Jefferson, who displayed superior route running and athleticism during a monstrous senior season. Jefferson, despite the claims of some, is more than just a slot receiver; he was my rookie WR5 before the NFL Combine and drew a favorable landing spot opposite Adam Thielen.

Thielen, meanwhile, continues to get no respect in fantasy circles. He finished as a WR1 (top 12 or better) in two consecutive preceding seasons before missing six games in 2019. Fully recovered, he figures to finish among NFL leaders in targets, so he’s an excellent value in Round 4.

Olabisi Johnson, the Vikings Round 7 pick in 2019, will vie with newly-added Tajae Sharpe for the WR3 spot. Sharpe quietly developed as a receiver in his third season in limited action on a run-first team, catching 25 of 35 targets (71.4 percent), so Johnson will have his work cut out. Neither has stand-alone fantasy value, but if Jefferson struggles to learn the playbook, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see either Johnson or Sharpe ascend to a larger-than-expected role.

The tight end position may be last in our overview, but it’s far from an afterthought in Minnesota. Only the Eagles ran more 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) than the Vikings in 2019, and with Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. both returning in 2020, odds are high that both will continue to play a role in the offense, especially in short-yardage and red zone situations.

Smith, Jr. was a favorite sleeper of many analysts last season, while others like myself preferred Rudolph, who finished tied for the team lead in touchdowns. In truth, one limited the fantasy fortunes of the other; Smith Jr. clearly has more dynasty value, but neither figures as a top echelon tight end in 2020 unless an unfortunate fate befalls the other.