Minnesota Vikings On Yahoo’s Fantasy Football Rankings
By Adam Carlson
It’s getting to be that time of year again when Minnesota Vikings fans are excited because NFL training camps are opening soon and the season is drawing nearer. One thing that goes hand in hand with the NFL season is fantasy football, which many fans love to play.
Recently, Yahoo! Sports released their rankings of players to help folks during their fantasy drafts. Here is where some of the Minnesota Vikings players stand:
Quarterbacks
Jun 17, 2014; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) throws in drills at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Teddy Bridgewater (27th ranked QB): For a guy that isn’t even expected to start, 27th is pretty good. He’s listed above Matt Cassel, E.J. Manuel, and a couple other starting passers. This means Yahoo! Sports is really expecting Bridgewater to see a good amount of action this year.
Running Backs
- Adrian Peterson (3rd ranked RB, 3rd overall): It’s hard not to get excited about Adrian Peterson. He is going to be a bigger part of the passing game for the Minnesota Vikings and should continue to dominate on the ground. However, Yahoo! Sports’ experts feel that Jamaal Charles and LeSean McCoy are better fantasy options.
Wide Receivers
Jun 17, 2014; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson (84) leaves the field after practice at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Cordarrelle Patterson (20th ranked WR, 47th overall): Patterson is due for a huge year now that he is a full time starter in Minnesota’s offense and has a creative offensive coordinator to get the ball in his hands. One spot above him on the list is former Vikings Percy Harvin, who the media loves to compare Patterson to.
Tight Ends
Sep 8, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) runs the ball against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Kyle Rudolph (9th ranked TE, 97th overall): The new offensive coordinator has brought a lot of excitement to the possibility of Kyle Rudolph having a breakout year this year. His size and physical play make for immediate mismatches. However, he will have to prove he’s healthy and get good QB play to make this happen.
Kickers
- Blair Walsh (9th ranked K): Walsh is coming off a somewhat disappointing season after struggling with injuries but looks to rebound this year while kicking outdoors at The Gopher Hole. However, if Walsh can return to his Pro Bowl form of his rookie year, he could well outplay the ranking he has this year.
Defense/Special Teams
- Minnesota Vikings (Unranked – No Votes): It seems like very little is expected from the team in terms of defense or special teams contributions. That’s odd considering the Vikings led the NFL in kickoff return TDs and tied for most total punt/kickoff returns in the NFL. However, the team’s defense will be a question mark until they can prove to be competent in the new system.
So, what do you guys think? Will you make it a priority to draft any Minnesota Vikings players to your fantasy football teams this year? Let me know in the comments about any players you feel are ranked poorly by the Yahoo! Sports experts or deserve to be on the radar for this year and were overlooked.