Fantasy Football News & Views
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QB RB WR TE PK | All Non-IDP | DT DE DL ILB OLB LB CB S DB | Footballguys View | All the news | FBG News Blogger Archive
Vikings | Cameron Smith waived/injured Mon Aug 10, 04:54 PM
Minnesota Vikings LB Cameron Smith (heart) was waived Monday, Aug. 10, with a non-football injury designation. He will revert to the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list if he is not claimed.
Link to story Vikings | Tyler Higby cut Sun Aug 9, 05:36 PM
Minnesota Vikings OG Tyler Higby was waived Sunday, Aug. 9.
| Footballguys view: No not that Tyler Higbee. Shame on anyone who tries to use this item to get a leaguemate to drop Tyler Higbee, the Rams tight end. |
Vikings | Cameron Smith to miss 2020 season Sat Aug 8, 08:26 PM
Minnesota Vikings LB Cameron Smith (heart) said he needs to undergo open heart surgery to repair a defect and will miss the 2020 season.
| Footballguys view: Smith's heart defect was found in testing that was protocol after he tested positive for coronavirus, so this was a good break for Smith. We hope to see him on the field again in 2021. |
Vikings | Minnesota signs Quentin Poling Sat Aug 8, 05:27 PM
Free-agent LB Quentin Poling (Raiders) signed with the Minnesota Vikings Saturday, Aug. 8. Terms of the contact were not disclosed.
Link to story Vikings | Tony Brooks-James cut Sat Aug 8, 05:14 PM
Minnesota Vikings RB Tony Brooks-James was waived Saturday, Aug. 8.
Link to story Vikings | Armon Watts back on roster Thu Aug 6, 01:03 PM
Minnesota Vikings DT Armon Watts was activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, Aug. 6. The team also waived WR Bralon Addison.
Link to story Vikings | Three candidates for RG job Wed Aug 5, 02:15 PM
Minnesota Vikings OG Dakota Dozier, OG Aviante Collins and OT Ezra Cleveland will compete for the starting right guard job during training camp, according to offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.
Link to story Vikings | Armon Watts put on COVID list Tue Aug 4, 06:19 PM
Minnesota Vikings DT Armon Watts was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, Aug. 4.
Link to story Vikings | Brian Cole II back on roster Tue Aug 4, 06:02 PM
Minnesota Vikings DB Brian Cole II was activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, Aug. 4.
Link to story Vikings | Justin Jefferson activated from COVID list Tue Aug 4, 04:59 PM
Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson was activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, Aug. 4.
| Footballguys view: Jefferson is going to be a big part of the Vikings offense in 2020...or at least that's the plan. The first-round pick from LSU did a majority of his damage last year from the slot but he's likely have to play some outside in the pros. His game is all about run-after-the-catch ability which is good in the play-action offense like the Vikings run under OC Gary Kubiak. |
Vikings | P.J. Hall fails physical Tue Aug 4, 04:58 PM
Oakland Raiders DT P.J. Hall (undisclosed) failed his physical with the Minnesota Vikings Tuesday, Aug. 4, and the trade has been nullified.
Link to storyP.J. Hall player page
Vikings | Quartney Davis passes physical Mon Aug 3, 06:56 PM
Minnesota Vikings WR Quartney Davis (undisclosed) passed his physical Monday, Aug. 3, and was activated from the Active/Non-Football Injury list.
Link to story Vikings | Ben Gedeon not ready to practice Mon Aug 3, 06:37 PM
Minnesota Vikings LB Ben Gedeon (undisclosed) was placed on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list Monday, Aug. 3.
Link to storyBen Gedeon player page
Vikings | Two players waived Mon Aug 3, 06:09 PM
Minnesota Vikings WR Davion Davis and CB Kemon Hall were waived Monday, Aug. 3.
Link to story Vikings | Two removed from COVID list Mon Aug 3, 05:22 PM
Minnesota Vikings DE Ifeadi Odenigbo and LB Anthony Barr were activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, Aug. 3.
Link to storyAnthony Barr player page
Vikings | Minnesota acquires P.J. Hall Mon Aug 3, 03:00 PM
Las Vegas Raiders DT P.J. Hall was traded to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, Aug. 3, in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2021, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Link to storyP.J. Hall player page
Vikings | Rick Spielman lands three-year extension Mon Aug 3, 01:17 PM
Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman reportedly signed a three-year contract extension to remain with the team in his current role through the end of the 2023 season on Monday, Aug. 3. Financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.
| Footballguys view: The Vikings have QB Kirk Cousins locked up for a few years, head coach Mike Zimmer just signed an extension through 2023 so now it's time for Spielman to get his. In eight seasons in this role, Spielman's team has won 72 games and have the foundation to make them a championship contender for years to come. |
Vikings | Rick Spielman extension looming Sun Aug 2, 08:45 PM
Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is reportedly on the verge of agreeing to a multiyear contract extension to remain in his current role, according to a source.
| Footballguys view: The Vikings have QB Kirk Cousins locked up for a few years, head coach Mike Zimmer just signed an extension through 2023 so now it's time for Spielman to get his. In eight seasons in this role, Spielman's team has won 72 games and have the foundation to make them a championship contender for years to come. |
Vikings | Nevelle Clarke comes off NFI list Fri Jul 31, 12:14 PM
Minnesota Vikings DB Nevelle Clarke (undisclosed) on Friday, July 31, was cleared after spending time on the Active/Non-Football Injury list.
Link to story Vikings | Blake Brandel activated Fri Jul 31, 12:11 PM
Minnesota Vikings OT Blake Brandel on Friday, July 31, was activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Link to story Vikings | Anthony Barr on COVID list Thu Jul 30, 06:08 PM
Minnesota Vikings LB Anthony Barr was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, July 30.
Link to storyAnthony Barr player page
Vikings | Three players on COVID list Wed Jul 29, 05:05 PM
Minnesota Vikings DE Ifeadi Odenigbo, LB Cameron Smith and OT Olisaemeka Udoh were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 Wednesday, July 29.
Link to story Vikings | Two Vikes on NFI list Tue Jul 28, 07:05 PM
Minnesota Vikings DB Nevelle Clarke (undisclosed) and WR Quartney Davis (undisclosed) were placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury list Tuesday, July 28.
Link to story Vikings | Dalvin Cook reports Tue Jul 28, 02:31 PM
Updating previous reports, Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook showed up at the team facility Tuesday, July 28, for his first COVID-19 test, according to sources. Cook reporting effectively ends any idea of a holdout.
| Footballguys view: There were thoughts that Cook would miss time as he holds out for a new deal. However, those were quickly pushed by the wayside as camp drew near. Now, Cook has reported and still wants a new deal. We expect the Vikings to oblige in the near future. Stay tuned. |
Dalvin Cook player page
Vikings | Michael Pierce to opt out Tue Jul 28, 02:03 PM
Minnesota Vikings DT Michael Pierce will opt out of the 2020 NFL season, sources said Tuesday, July 28, to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport learned Pierce has a respiratory condition and is in the high-risk category.
Link to storyMichael Pierce player page
Vikings | Justin Jefferson on COVID list Mon Jul 27, 05:50 PM
Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (illness) was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, July 27.
| Footballguys view: The first-round pick from LSU will have to wait to begin practicing. Jefferson must quarantine and receive medical clearance before he can hit the field. |
Vikings | Minnesota places four on COVID list Mon Jul 27, 05:23 PM
Minnesota Vikings OT Blake Brandel (illness), S Brian Cole II (illness), OG Tyler Higby (illness) and WR Justin Jefferson (illness) were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
| Footballguys view: Jefferson is the rookie first-round pick out of LSU. Like all other players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, it doesn't mean Jefferson has tested positive but he might have been around others who did. All players on the list will have to be medically cleared before they can begin practicing. |
Vikings | Everson Griffen's status uncertain Sun Jul 26, 02:23 PM
Free-agent DE Everson Griffen (Vikings) is a player that Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer would like to re-sign, but Zimmer said he is not sure if the two sides are talking at this time.
| Footballguys view: Earlier in the offseason it looked like Griffen wasn't going to come back to the Vikings, but his price might have dropped enough to make him more palatable to Minnesota and the lack of interest could motivate him to return to a known situation. If Griffen does return, he'll close the door on a Ifeadi Odenigbo breakout opposite Danielle Hunter. |
Everson Griffen player page
Vikings | Dalvin Cook's agent denies saying his client will report Sun Jul 26, 10:54 AM
Updating a previous report, the agent for Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook said he had not talked to head coach Mike Zimmer about his client showing up to camp and ending his holdout, even though Zimmer had announced that Cook would report during a press conference Saturday, July 25.
| Footballguys view: Cook apparently did talk to his position coach Kennedy Polamalu about showing up for camp, but for now we should still treat this as a holdout and draft accordingly. |
Dalvin Cook player page
Vikings | Dalvin Cook unlikely to hold out Sat Jul 25, 10:13 AM
Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook is unlikely to hold out during the 2020 season because of new rules within the collective bargaining agreement, according to ESPN.com's Courtney Cronin. He would stand to be fined $50,000 for each day of camp missed and he would be unable to recover those funds even if an extension is worked out. In addition, Cook would not accrue a year of service toward free agency if he doesn't appear at camp by the mandatory reporting date or if he leaves the team after that date. Cook is slated to earn $1.3 million during the final year of his rookie contract.
| Footballguys view: Cook never had much leverage in this situation, so reporting to camp on time was always the most likely scenario. He'll be the centerpiece of the Gary Kubiak offense and is a top-5 fantasy pick in all formats. Cook's back Alexander Mattison is one of the most high-valued handcuffs in fantasy football this year. |
Dalvin Cook player page
Vikings | Mike Zimmer signs extension Fri Jul 24, 06:54 PM
Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer signed a three-year contract extension with the Vikings Friday, July 24. Financial terms were not disclosed.
| Footballguys view: Zimmer was going into the last year of his deal, and no extension was raising eyebrows and inviting speculation about his future with the Vikings. Now he'll have security and the team will know who their head coach will be for the foreseeable future. |
Vikings | Minnesota signs 14 picks Thu Jul 23, 07:01 PM
Updating previous stories, Minnesota Vikings sixth-round pick OT Blake Brandel, second-round pick OT Ezra Cleveland, seventh-round pick DB Brian Cole II, third-round pick DB Cameron Dantzler, fourth-round pick LB Troy Dye, fifth-round pick DB Harrison Hand, seventh-round pick G Kyle Hinton, first-round pick WR Justin Jefferson, fourth-round pick DT James Lynch, sixth-round pick DB Josh Metellus, fifth-round pick WR K.J. Osborn, seventh-round pick DE Kenny Willekes and fourth-round pick DE D.J. Wonnum all officially signed their four-year rookie contracts Thursday, July 23. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
Link to story Vikings | Jeff Gladney signs rookie contract Thu Jul 23, 05:32 PM
Minnesota Vikings first-round pick CB Jeff Gladney signed his four-year rookie contract with a fifth-year option Thursday, July 23. The deal is worth $10.991 million with $5.553 million in guaranteed money.
| Footballguys view: Gladney had a whopping 30 pass breakups over the last two seasons in college at TCU. He is ultra competitive and adept at playing man/press coverage against an opponents best receiver. Gladney has quick feet and can change direction with ease which allows him to get to the ball faster. As a rookie, Gladney could be a nickel corner for the Vikings but eventually he should be a starter on the outside. |
Vikings | Kenny Willekes signs first contract Thu Jul 23, 04:14 PM
Minnesota Vikings seventh-round pick DE Kenny Willekes signed his four-year rookie contract Thursday, July 23.
| Footballguys view: Willekes does not have outstanding physical traits but he is a hard worker, going to Michigan State as a walk-on prospect and ending his career as a record-setter for the Spartans. He plays with a ton of venom and nasty intentions when getting after the quarterback. Willekes is the type of player you don't bet against but the odds are stacked against him going up against elite-level talent in the NFL. |
Vikings | Josh Metellus signs rookie deal Thu Jul 23, 11:57 AM
Minnesota Vikings S Josh Metellus signed his four-year rookie contract Thursday, July 23, according to his agency, Rosenhaus Sports. The sixth-round pick's financial terms are slotted according to NFL rules.
| Footballguys view: Metellus has good speed and is rangy at the safety position. He lacks discipline when he plays but has a ton of emotional energy on the football field. Metellus can make plays in coverage and showed better as a run-defender in 2019. |
Vikings | Kyle Hinton agrees to deal Wed Jul 22, 06:07 PM
Minnesota Vikings seventh-round draft choice OG Kyle Hinton agreed to terms on a four-year contract with the Vikings Wednesday, July 22, worth $3.37 million. The deal includes a $75,492 signing bonus.
Link to story Vikings | James Lynch signs rookie deal Wed Jul 22, 05:06 PM
Minnesota Vikings fourth-round draft choice DE James Lynch signed a four-year contract with the Vikings Wednesday, July 22. Financial terms were not disclosed.
| Footballguys view: Lynch has violent striking hands, plays with power and does a good job of chasing quarterbacks down. He set sack records in college at Baylor playing from the outside, but in the pros he should line up as a three tech. Lynch should get on the field as a rookie as a part-time pass-rusher. |
Vikings | Ezra Cleveland under contract Wed Jul 22, 05:05 PM
Minnesota Vikings second-round draft choice OT Ezra Cleveland signed a four-year contract with the Vikings Wednesday, July 22, worth $5,537,216, according to sources. The deal includes a $1,587,064 signing bonus.
Link to story Vikings | K.J. Osborn signs contract Wed Jul 22, 04:48 PM
Minnesota Vikings fifth-round draft choice WR K.J. Osborn signed a four-year contract with the Vikings Wednesday, July 22. Financial terms were not disclosed.
| Footballguys view: Osborn is fearless as a return man and that's where he should be able to carve out the best role in the NFL. He lacks a 'wow' factor as a receiver but does have great vision with the rock in his hands. He's at least a special teams player who could get on the field in four-or-five wide receiver sets. |
Vikings | Troy Dye comes to terms on contract Wed Jul 22, 02:51 PM
Minnesota Vikings LB Troy Dye agreed to terms Wednesday, July 22, on a four-year, $3.974 million rookie contract. He receives a $678,572 signing bonus, and Dye will count $779,643 against the 2020 salary cap.
| Footballguys view: Dye is a linebacker/safety hybrid who can cover tight ends. He's smart and does a good job of diagnosing plays as they unfold in front of him. Dye could work his way onto the field as a part-time defender in subpackages (in addition to standing out on special teams). |
Vikings | Justin Jefferson agrees to rookie pact Wed Jul 22, 02:45 PM
Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson agreed to terms Wednesday, July 22, on a four-year, $13.123 million rookie contract. He receives a $7.104 million signing bonus, and Jefferson will count $2.386 million against the 2020 salary cap. Per NFL rules, since Jefferson was a first-round pick, Minnesota has the option to add a fifth year to his contract.
| Footballguys view: Jefferson has fantastic run-after-the-catch ability and can make defenders miss in open space. He did most of his work from the slot in 2019, catching 109-of-111 passes from the slot. We'll see how the team uses his this year as he learns how to beat physical coverage if he lines up outside. Jefferson has a current ADP of WR47 (10.12) in 12-team PPR leagues. |
Vikings | Pat Elflein may need strong camp Sun Jul 19, 02:05 PM
Minnesota Vikings OG Pat Elflein likely will need a strong training camp in order to make the final roster, in the opinion of ESPN.com's Courtney Cronin.
| Footballguys view: Both Vikings guard spots are wide open competitions according to the general manager Rick Spielman, so Elflein could end up anywhere from starting to off of the roster before finishing out his third-round pick rookie contract from 2017. |
Vikings | Kirk Cousins shined outside pocket Sat Jul 18, 12:50 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins earned a 84.1 Pro Football Focus passing grade on throws outside the pocket in 2019 which ranked second among quarterbacks.
| Footballguys view: The Vikings pass offense doesn't ask Cousins to freelance often, but he has been better than his reputation would suggest in this area of the game. He's still only a draft consideration in 2QB/Superflex leagues with the Vikings reliance on the running game to make their offense go. |
Kirk Cousins player page
Vikings | Nate Stanley signs contract Mon Jul 13, 03:35 PM
Minnesota Vikings seventh-round draft choice QB Nate Stanley signed a four-year contract with the Vikings Monday, July 13. Financial terms were not disclosed.
| Footballguys view: Stanley should be kept as a third quarterback behind Kirk Cousins and Sean Mannion. He operates well in the pocket with good decision-making, but doesn't have plus athleticism and appears to have a low ceiling. |
Vikings | Kirk Cousins went deep for touchdowns Thu Jul 9, 05:05 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins led the NFL with an average depth of target of 19.2 yards on touchdown passes in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus.
| Footballguys view: Stefon Diggs was certainly part of this equation and because he's gone, that number should drop this year. Odell Beckham could benefit from the deep play action shots that Diggs reeled in under Kevin Stefanski last year now that Stefanski is the head coach of the Browns. |
Kirk Cousins player page
Vikings | Shamar Stephen will have competition at DT Sun Jul 5, 03:31 PM
Minnesota Vikings DT Shamar Stephen will be pushed by DTs Armon Watts and James Lynch for one of the starting defensive tackle jobs during training camp.
| Footballguys view: Lynch was a highly productive player at Baylor and should provide valuable rotational snaps at worst. Keep an eye on him in deep IDP dynasty leagues. |
Shamar Stephen player page
Vikings | Ezra Cleveland may push for starting job Sun Jul 5, 03:28 PM
Minnesota Vikings OT Ezra Cleveland could have a chance at the starting left tackle job if he performs well during training camp, in the opinion of VikingsWire's Jack White.
| Footballguys view: Riley Reiff is the incumbent left tackle, but Cleveland is very athletic and should be the long term answer there eventually. The loser of this competition could kick inside to guard, but White thinks the team should keep Reiff either way with very little available in free agency on the offensive line to a team that is "cash-strapped". |
Vikings | Loaded boxes nothing new for Dalvin Cook Mon Jun 29, 09:19 PM
Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook carried the ball 147 times in 2019 when there was at least eight defenders in the box - the second-most such rushing attempts in the league last season - according to Pro Football Focus.
| Footballguys view: Cook is the focal point of the Vikings offense, so it's no surprise he would see stacked boxes on a regular basis. In fact, the Gary Kubiak system thrives on that defensive look as it plays right into the play-action passing that is rampant therein. Expect more of the same when it comes to defensive looks for the Vikings in 2020. |
Dalvin Cook player page
Vikings | Olabisi Johnson could start in 2020 Fri Jun 26, 09:43 PM
Minnesota Vikings WR Olabisi Johnson and WR Justin Jefferson are 'strong candidates' for the No. 2 receiver role in 2020, according to Eric Smith of Vikings.com.
| Footballguys view: Johnson was a seventh-round pick out of Colorado State in 2019 and he played well as a rookie, compiling 31 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns. Jefferson is the rookie first-round pick out of LSU who dominated in the slot last year with 109 of his 111 catches coming from the slot in 2019. We could see Johnson was the no.2 on the outside while Jefferson is the slot for the Vikings where he could be frequently targeted. Jefferson is the one with more upside and fantasy potential in 2020 and beyond. |
Olabisi Johnson player page
Vikings | Limited role for Chad Beebe? Fri Jun 26, 09:41 PM
Minnesota Vikings WR Chad Beebe will likely be the No. 4 or No. 5 receiver in 2020, according to Eric Smith of Vikings.com.
| Footballguys view: Beebe has only six catches in two seasons, so his role was going to be limited anyway. The team traded away Stefon Diggs to the Bills but then they added LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. Beebe won't account for much production as a receiver if he makes the 53-man roster. |
