The Viking Age
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Expect Vikings players to be drafted early in 2018 fantasy leagues

By Adam Carlson

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 1: Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates a rushing touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Detroit Lions on October 1, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 1: Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates a rushing touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Detroit Lions on October 1, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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The 2018 fantasy football season is rapidly approaching. Where should the top players from the Minnesota Vikings be chosen during your fantasy drafts?

While the 2018 NFL season is approaching that also means that many Minnesota Vikings fans and those who root for other teams will be joining fantasy football leagues to put their sports knowledge on display.

This year, there will be several Vikings players who have their name called early on during fantasy football drafts and experts have weighed in on where the Minnesota stars should be picked to get the most value from your roster.

Recently, NFL.com shared an article giving the Top 200 fantasy players for 2018 with rankings given by Adam Rank, Michael Fabiano, Alex Gelhar, and Marcas Grant. Here’s a rundown of where the  Vikings landed on their list:

Dalvin Cook, running back

  • Rank: 21st (RB12)
  • Fabiano: 18th (RB11)
  • Gelhar: 24th (RB12)
  • Grant: 30th (RB 14)
  • Analysis: Somewhere near the end of the second round of your fantasy draft sounds like a good spot to start considering Dalvin Cook, who should bounce back after a devastating knee injury that caused him to miss a majority of the 2017 season.

Adam Thielen, wide receiver

  • Rank: 26th (WR12)
  • Fabiano: 26th (WR10)
  • Gelhar: 19th (WR11)
  • Grant: 26th (WR13)
  • Analysis: If you want consistency on your team, Thielen is your guy! He might not be a great value in the second round, but the third round is a spot where you could start considering adding him to your roster.

Stefon Diggs, wide receiver

  • Rank: 36th (WR15)
  • Fabiano: 45th (WR21)
  • Gelhar: 27th (WR13)
  • Grant: 22nd (WR11)
  • Analysis: Diggs will get drafted in your league, but Thielen should definitely go before he does. That said, if he’s available in the fourth round of your fantasy draft and you need a wide receiver, he would be a solid addition.

Kyle Rudolph, tight end

  • Rank: 100th (TE9)
  • Fabiano: 85th (TE9)
  • Gelhar: 118th (TE9)
  • Grant: 99th (TE7)
  • Analysis: There will be a several tight ends go off the board before Rudolph, but waiting could get you a huge value on Rudolph. If he really is available in round 8 of your draft, you got yourself a steal for a starter.

Vikings defense/special teams

  • Rank: – unranked –
  • Fabiano: 148th (DST4)
  • Gelhar: – unranked –
  • Grant: – unranked –
  • Analysis: While most of the experts didn’t add defense and special teams to their rankings, Minnesota should be one of the top units off the board. That said, you should still wait until the final rounds of your draft to grab the unit.

Kirk Cousins, quarterback

  • Rank: – unranked –
  • Fabiano: 87th (QB7)
  • Gelhar: 89th (QB7)
  • Grant: 54th (QB7)
  • Analysis: The success of so many players on this list will depend on the play of Cousins, who should have another 4,000 yard passing season and see a lot of that going to the top pass catchers in Minnesota and possibly improve on his statistics with the Redskins. Being the 7th QB off the board sounds fair.

Latavius Murray, running back

  • Rank: – unranked –
  • Fabiano: 152nd (RB51)
  • Gelhar: 136th (RB52)
  • Grant: 121st (RB45)
  • Analysis: Whether you’re drafting him for his short yardage work and goal-line situations or as a handcuff to Dalvin Cook, Murray would be an interesting selection in deeper leagues. He’s worth a stash in the late rounds of your draft.

Kendall Wright, wide receiver

  • Rank: – unranked –
  • Fabiano: – unranked –
  • Gelhar: – unranked –
  • Grant: 190th (WR73)
  • Analysis: Right now, Wright shouldn’t be on your draft board. Despite being the leading receiver of the Bears last year, it’s hard to know what his role will be in Minnesota’s offense. Keep an eye on him, but don’t expect much from a fantasy standpoint.

Next: The Vikings' greatest 7-round draft of all-time

Which players from the Minnesota Vikings will you be targeting during your Fantasy Football draft? And what is the soonest you’d select them? Let us know a little of your strategy in the comments section below.

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