Vikings QB Kirk Cousins could be the top fantasy football passer
By Adam Carlson
He’s been a consistent fantasy football quarterback, but now that Kirk Cousins is with the Minnesota Vikings, he has a chance to be the top scoring passer.
Fantasy football can be a lot of fun. Whether playing a friendly game of skill against people you know or trying to win money in a more competitive format against strangers online, fans of the Minnesota Vikings and other teams love putting their sports knowledge on display.
One of the key parts of putting together a great fantasy football is to have a solid draft by selecting the best possible players. Having a quality quarterback on the team is essential to get the best chance to win the league.
There are always the same names heard near the top of quarterback draft boards. Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Russell Wilson are always among the first passers selected by team managers, but could this be the year Vikings quarterback takes the top spot?
Recently, Pro Football Focus wrote an article about the quarterbacks with the best chance of being the top scorer during the 2018 NFL and included Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins among the individuals with a chance to own the crown.
PFF gives Cousins a 12/1 odds of being the number one fantasy football quarterback, giving him the sixth best chance behind only Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, Cam Newton, and Deshaun Watson.
Related Story: Expect Vikings to be picked early in fantasy football
Fantasy football players have plenty of reasons to love Cousins. He’s passed for over 4.000 yards the past three seasons with at least 25 passing touchdowns each year, adding 13 rushing touchdowns over those three years as well.
Cousins enters a situation where he has two dynamic receivers at his disposal, one of the best tight ends in the league, and a young running back looking to make a name for himself this year, allowing him all the weapons needed to put forth the best season of his career. However, there are some reasons PFF feels it may be tough for him to bet the top fantasy quarterback this year.
Minnesota Vikings
"With Dalvin Cook and a top-ranked defense the Vikings won’t need him to throw 37-plus times per game which is something he did eight times a year ago. The veteran will be hard-pressed to crack the top three, but with two top-15 wide receivers the tools are in place to surprise."
Using standard scoring, Kirk Cousins was the sixth-highest point getter at quarterback last season, behind only Wilson, Newton, Brady, Alex Smith, and Carson Wentz according to ESPN’s website and has the potential to continue moving up in the positional rankings. However, PFF claims Cousins was the fifth-highest scorer in their article.
Next: Projecting the Vikings' final 2018 roster (Post-draft)
The best strategy this fantasy football season might be to wait on a quarterback. While some managers might take a passer like Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers early, waiting for a few rounds to grab Kirk Cousins of Minnesota Vikings could be a move that brings home a trophy this season.