The Minnesota Vikings started off the season solid winning their first five games. Then the bye week came along and everything fell apart. After the bye week, they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. After that, they went 3-8 the rest of the season. They finished 8-8 and in third place in the NFC north. The Vikings dealt with many injuries to their key playmakers throughout the season. Below is the Minnesota Vikings 2016 fantasy football recap.
Minnesota Vikings 2016 fantasy football recap
Quarterback
The Vikings suffered a big blow to their season in the preseason when their young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater tore his ACL in practice. There are reports that he might not be ready for the start of the 2017 season. With the loss of their quarterback, the Vikings were forced to look elsewhere for a starting quarterback.
They turned to the Philadelphia Eagles and traded for veteran Sam Bradford who would start 15 of their 16 games in 2016. He passed for 3877 yards 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. He finished the season as the 23rd ranked fantasy quarterback with 210 fantasy points. Bradford averaged only averaged only 13 fantasy points per game last season. He had only five games of 18 or more fantasy points and nine games of 14 or fewer fantasy points. Bradford may end up being the starter in 2017 if so he is worth a late-round pick and a solid bye week quarterback.
Running Back
The Vikings lost another key playmaker in their star running back Adrian Peterson when he went down with a knee injury in week two and would only play in one other game in 2016. Peterson totaled only eighty total yards. Peterson has been one of the best running backs in the NFL and in fantasy football for around ten years. There are talks that the Vikings could move on from Peterson to save money towards the cap.
The running back carries were then split between Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata. McKinnon was the lead back and totaled 794 yards with four touchdowns. He totaled 95 fantasy points and averaged only six points per game. One of the main problems was that he was very inconsistent he had 11 games of six or fewer fantasy points. If the Vikings move on from Peterson, McKinnon will become an interesting running back two / solid flex option and is worth a middle-round pick. If Peterson is still on the team he is not worth much more than a late-round pick in next years drafts.
The next running back in the Viking’s committee last season was Matt Asiata. Asiata finished the season with 665 total yards and six touchdowns for a total of 90 fantasy points. He was the goal line back for the Vikings and was a touchdown-dependent flex option for fantasy owners. Asiata averaged five and a half points per game last season. If Peterson is not with the Vikings in 2017 the Vikings will most likely continue to use a committee at running back. If this happens it will hurt both running backs fantasy value. McKinnon will most likely get the majority of the touches and lose goal line work to Asiata. Asiata is worth a late round pick if Peterson is not with the team next season.
Wide Receiver
The Vikings wide receivers were some of the biggest boom or bust players in fantasy in 2016. The leading receiver for the Vikings was Adam Thielen with 967 yards and five touchdowns. He totaled 120 fantasy points and was the 29th ranked receiver in fantasy last season. While he did average seven and a half points per game, most of his points came in a few big games. He had four games in double digits and nine games of six or fewer fantasy points. He is a solid flex option / wide receiver three next season and is worth a late-round pick in drafts next season.
The next leading receiver for the Vikings was Stefon Diggs with 913 total yards and only three touchdowns. He totaled 103 fantasy points and averaged around six and a half points per game. Diggs was another boom or bust player for fantasy owners as he had only five games of nine or more fantasy points. He also had eight games of five or fewer fantasy points. Diggs is worth a middle to late round pick in next years drafts.
Tight End
Tight end Kyle Rudolph was one of the most consistent players for the Vikings and for fantasy owners. He finished the season with 840 yards and seven touchdowns for 120 fantasy points. He averaged seven and a half fantasy points per game and finished the season as the third-ranked tight end in fantasy. Rudolph is a solid option for fantasy owners next season and is worth a middle-round pick in next years drafts.
Kicker
The Vikings started off the season with long-time kicker Blair Walsh but cut him in week 10 after he struggled throughout the early part of the season. The Vikings then signed veteran Kai Forbath when he took over took over he averaged around nine fantasy points per game. If he is still with the Vikings next season he is worth a late-round flier in drafts next season.
Defense
The Vikings defense was the number one ranked defense in fantasy last season. They totaled 157 fantasy points and averaged around 10 fantasy points per game last season. The defense started off the season on fire as they averaged 15 fantasy points per game in their first six games. Then they would simply fall apart and had six games of three or fewer fantasy points, and only three in the double digits. They are a solid option for fantasy owners next season and are worth a late round pick in next season’s drafts.
The Vikings are an interesting team for fantasy owners and NFL fans to keep an eye on for next season. They’re an overall solid team and if they can stay healthy they can make a run at the NFC North title. A player for fantasy owners to keep an eye on is wide receiver, Laquon Treadwell. He is worth a late-round flier and could be a steal in next years drafts. The situation to keep an eye on is who is the running back for the Minnesota Vikings next season.
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