When to draft these Vikings players in fantasy football

As the excitement of the NFL season draws near, fantasy football enthusiasts like myself, are eagerly preparing for their drafts. If you’re eyeing Minnesota Vikings players to add to your roster, it’s crucial to know where to draft them to maximize your team's potential. Let’s dive into some strategic insights on when to target Vikings players in your fantasy football draft.

QB Kirk Cousins - Because Cousins may not be as mobile or popular as many other quarterbacks in the league, he’ll be a bargain on draft day as being the 10-13th quarterback off the board. That means he’s an easy option for QB if you passed on one during rounds 3-6 of your draft with high upside with weapons all around him.

RB Alexander Mattison - This is a tricky one. Because Mattison is now the “lead back” in Minnesota after the Vikings decided to let Dalvin Cook play elsewhere, he will be a volume depended back who will probably be taken somewhere in the 40th-50th overall range. As of recently, the Vikings have been working out other veteran running backs to help lessen the load on Mattison, but could also mean that Mattison isn’t living up to the Vikings RB1 hype in camp as of now. Minnesota also seems to be sticking to a pass-first style offense that could lower Mattison’s touch numbers. Draft with caution.

WR Justin Jefferson - If you won the first pick in your fantasy football draft, congratulations. You just drafted Justin Jefferson. Jettas had proven himself to be an elite fantasy football receiver and will likely be taken first overall. If he slides to you at pick number 2 or 3 you just won your league.

WR Jordan Addison - With the addition of Addison to an already stacked offensive unit, the Vikings bolster the explosiveness of their offense with the shifty and quick route runner who can create separation against the best of the best. It is hard to tell this early how much playing time Addison will get early in the season, but the potential to be a league winner is there. Some may see Addison’s upside being affected by the play of Justin Jefferson, so Addison can figure to be taken in the 70-80th overall range.

WR KJ Osborn - Osborn figures to be the WR3 on the Vikings this year with the addition of Jordan Addison in the first round of this year's draft. He should still see plenty of playing time as the number three option in this pass-happy offense but again with Justin Jefferson’s tremendous play, and the Vikings spending a high pick on yet another receiver, Kirk’s attention may be elsewhere this year. KJ would be worth drafting around that 140-150th overall range if your rosters are deep enough. If Jefferson or Addison were to miss any playing time, Osborn would be a great plug-and-play option during that time.

TE TJ Hockenson - In TJ’s first year with the Vikings, Hockenson averaged almost 8 targets a game and 10.4 PPR points per game. Only Travis Kelce had more targets per game last year. The Vikings drafting Addison may hurt Hockenson’s target share a touch but Hockenson should remain a key piece of this air raid style the Vikings are forming. TJ will be taken off the board by the 60-65th pick in your fantasy football drafts.

K Greg Joseph - Joseph officially wins the kicking competition and will be slated to start for the Vikings for his 3rd year in a row. Last year, Joseph was a top-10 fantasy football kicker, averaging 8.8 points a game. He is worthy of your final roster spot.

Vikings D/ST - Needless to say, last year was not a good year to start the Vikings' defense in fantasy football. This year with the addition of Brian Flores, this defense shouldn’t be overlooked. But outside of Danielle Hunter the Vikings do not have many other pass rushers to get pressures on opposing QBs and the defensive backs unit still have some question marks. Even though the Vikings face off against a lackluster Tampa Bay Bucs team in week 1, the Vikings D/ST isn’t considered good enough YET to be drafted onto your team until proven otherwise.

Remember, every fantasy football draft is unique, and values can shift based on league preferences and strategies. Stay informed about player injuries, team dynamics and preseason performances to make the most informed decisions on draft day. By strategically placing Minnesota Vikings players on your roster, you just might increase your odds of fantasy football success throughout the season.