In Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Minnesota Vikings struggled to get much going offensively until a fourth-quarter rally. Quarterback Carson Wentz was sacked six times, and he was pressured 21 times on 54 dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Ideally, the Vikings will have a more favorable game script against the Cleveland Browns in London on Sunday. Cleveland turning to rookie Dillon Gabriel as their starting quarterback will help that cause, but the Browns' defense is no joke.
With zero sacks of Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff in Week 4, the Browns still have 11 sacks this season. They have the league's No. 1 run defense (70.3 yards allowed per game), along with being the stingiest team in terms of yards per carry allowed by a solid margin (2.7). They are also fourth in the league against the pass (152.3 yards allowed per game).
From a fantasy football perspective, when it comes to the Vikings this week, there is one lineup lock (Justin Jefferson), followed by a bunch of questions and doubt.
Four teams on a bye probably means a lot of running back Jordan Mason's fantasy managers will be starting him, despite the tough matchup. Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson might find their way into a lot of lineups. Some managers, in deeper leagues or superflex formats, might be starting Wentz.
Fantasy sleepers list reveals path to success for Minnesota Vikings offense in Week 5
Mo Moton of Bleacher Report has Vikings running back Zavier Scott on his list of the biggest fantasy sleepers for Week 5.
"Zavier Scott could have a strong two-week stretch overseas with back-to-back double-digit fantasy scoring outings.
In the Minnesota Vikings' previous game in Dublin, he served as the team's primary pass-catching running back, hauling in six out of eight targets for 43 yards and a touchdown.
Last week, the Vikings fell behind the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-6, which dictated a pass-heavy game flow for a late comeback. That said, Scott may see a lot of action in the short passing game as an outlet for Carson Wentz, who will be under center without starting offensive linemen Ryan Kelly, Brian O'Neill and Donovan Jackson.
In a matchup against the Cleveland Browns, who rank eighth in pressure rate (22.7 percent) and are tied for seventh in sacks, Wentz may dump off several passes to Scott, who showed reliable hands last week."
Last week's game script was a key driver of a bigger role for Scott (29 snaps; a 38 percent snap share). But Moton noted the Browns' top-ranked run defense as a reason the former college wide receiver could have a notable role in the Vikings' offense again this week.
Wentz will need an outlet to get the ball out of his hands quickly. While Mason is good enough as a pass catcher, Scott showed more juice in that area against the Steelers.
In deep PPR leagues, Scott is an interesting plug-and-play this week for fantasy managers who are in a bye week or injury pickle at running back. And with that, the Vikings also have a sneaky way to keep Wentz clean and keep their offense on track against arguably the best defense in the league.