The Viking Age
FanSided

2018 fantasy football forecast: Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins

By Adam Carlson

LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 12: Quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins looks on during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at FedExField on November 12, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 12: Quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins looks on during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at FedExField on November 12, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

When at your fantasy football draft, Kirk Cousins would be a solid option to be your quarterback. But what should you expect and when should you pick the Minnesota Vikings passer?

Having a solid quarterback can make or break your fantasy football team. However, selecting one too early can also cause team owners to miss out on other players near the top of their positional rankings. A player like Minnesota Vikings passer Kirk Cousins might just be the perfect answer.

Not considered to be among the elite players at quarterback, Cousins has still been one of the most consistent and reliable players at the position, not missing a single game in the last three seasons and throwing for over 4,000 yards in each of them while tossing at least 25 touchdowns.

Waiting to select Cousins while loading up on running backs and wide receivers in the early rounds could be a great formula for success, especially if he can repeat his performances from the last two seasons.

Here is his fantasy production from the last two years according to FantasyData.com:

  • 2016: 4917 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 96 rushing yards, and 4 TDs – 300.28 points
  • 2017: 4093 passing yards and 27 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 179 rushing yards, and 4 TDs – 277.62 points

Any time you can get a quarterback who has averaged total touchdowns in the last two years, that has to be considered a win. Sure, he’ll never get the kind of attention that Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, or Russell Wilson will get in the early rounds, but that also means you don’t have to spend a premier pick to grab him.

Experts seem pretty high on Cousins during his first year with the Minnesota Vikings considering he will have great weapons like Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph, and Dalvin Cook, but those expectations must be tempered a little bit because of the new setting and the new offensive coordinator.

Still, the experts’ estimated point output for Cousins is pretty impressive. Here is their projected points total during the season along with the rank among quarterbacks entering the draft:

Unless you have a homer in your draft who is a Minnesota Vikings fan, odds are that Cousins will be around the 9th or 10th quarterback off the board. Depending on the scoring in your league, where those players will be selected may vary greatly, however standard scoring situations should see him around a 5th or 6th round selection.

In fact, Cousins comes in at the 124th spot on the ESPN Top 300 non-PPR rankings, which is absurd considering his value after the top players at the position is huge and the top-rated quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, doesn’t make the list until the 64th spot…and he will go far sooner than that.

Related Story: Fantasy football forecast for Adam Thielen

At that ranking, fans might think they can wait until the 10th round or so before selecting Cousins, but by that time, team owners will be filling out their rosters and he will be long gone. Instead, focus on filling out your roster.

Grab top-rated pass catchers and rushers early…maybe even a tight end if one of value drops to you and then grab Cousins around the 6th round if he’s still available. That would be great value at that spot.

As far as a projection, TVA predicts Cousins will net you approximately 301.3 fantasy points this season in a standard scoring league, more than most of the experts predict but still falling in line with the production he experienced in an inferior offense in Washington.

Next: Predicting the Vikings 2018 record

This year, be one of those smart fantasy football managers who wait for a quarterback instead of reaching to grab one early. A consistent and reliable passer like Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings won’t be a flashy pick, but it won’t matter as much when you have more star players at other skill positions to help deliver you a fantasy championship!

Home/Fantasy Football