49ers Vikings with Kirk Cousins in a primetime game. It’s a no from me dawg. The 49ers defense is ranked in the top 10 in all the important categories. They’re 10th when it comes to passing yards allowed, and 6th for passing touchdowns. They’re ranked 6th after allowing just 481 yards rushing so far. And they’re 7th for the number of touchdowns they’ve allowed on the ground. There’s always DraftKings DFS slate to make it interesting though.
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So that looks like a tough assignment for the Vikings offense then, right? Absolutely. Now, consider the Vikings have their leading receiver on IR along with two other receivers. And a running back and a right tackle. Oh, and exciting rookie receiver Jordan Addison is recovering from an ankle injury. So, it’s difficult to expect too much from the Vikings this week.
For their part, the Vikings’ defense isn’t exactly in the same category as their counterparts from San Francisco. Brian Flores’ charges have held the Bears and Panthers to 13 points this season, but they’ve struggled against competent teams. The Eagles put 34 points on them in Week 2 and the Chiefs scored 24 on them two weeks ago.
Monday night DraftKings Bargains
The “It’s About Time” DraftKings DFS Pick – Jauan Jennings
Deebo Samuel injured his shoulder against the Browns. He will probably still play against the Vikings, but if he isn’t at his usual ebullient best Jennings may be involved more. Last week D.J Moore averaged 10.2 yards per catch against the Vikings and that was despite the Bears quarterbacks being sacked five times. The 49ers pass protection is a lot better than the Bears. They’re more than twice as good, the 49ers have allowed 11 sacks in 2023 compared to the Bears’ 25.
The Busy Backup DraftKings DFS Pick – Jordan Mason
Christian McCaffrey is recovering from an oblique injury, but it looks like he’ll be playing. Whether the 49ers want him to do as much as he usually does remains to be seen. If they do want to protect him, even slightly, then Jordan Mason should see more action than normal.
The Huge Upside DraftKings DFS Pick – Ray-Ray McCloud
If Deebo’s shoulder isn’t back to normal he’ll line up opposite Akayleb Evans (who is dealing with an oblique issue too). Evans has allowed 23 passing completions in 2023. Two of those completions have been scoring passes and he’s missed five tackles. Receivers have made 92 yards after the catch when they’ve been covered by Evans.
The Unlikely Hero DraftKings DFS Pick – Brandon Powell
With no JJ and potentially no Addison T.J Hockenson and K.J Osborn figure to draw the most attention from the 49ers defense. That leaves Powell to lineup opposite nickelback Isaiah Oliver or even a linebacker. Oliver is allowing 78.1% of passes to be completed when they’re thrown in his direction. He’s also 9.1% of the tackles he’s been asked to make this season.
Even if the Vikings offense does struggle to string drives together, they may still have a favorable matchup. Powell saw four targets last week and even had a rushing attempt, but that didn’t end well.
The Wild Pick – Kyle Juszczyk
He doesn’t get many touches and he’s only averaging 5 yards per touch, but he has already scored a touchdown this season.
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