Minnesota Vikings vs Los Angeles Chargers

This was an ugly game, as the Chargers turned the ball over an incredible seven times. The Chargers defense actually played pretty well, but the Vikings had favorable field position so many times that they were bound to put up points. The game was close through the first half, but on the second-to-last play of the first half the Philip Rivers was strip-sacked and the Vikings returned it for a touchdown. The Chargers then fumbled on the first drive of the second half, went three-and-out on their next drive, and then had a failed fourth-down conversion. The Vikings scored two field goals and a touchdown in that span to blow the game open, and the Chargers finished the game with only the ten points they had managed in the first half. The Vikings won 39-10, winning the time of possession battle 32:19 to 27:41 in the process.

Minnesota Vikings

Quarterback

Kirk Cousins: 19/25, 207 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | 3 carries, 14 yards

Kirk Cousins was not asked to do much in this game as the Vikings were able to lean on their defense to win. Cousins was intercepted on an attempted screen pass to Ameer Abdullah by a defensive lineman, but aside from that, he played mostly mistake-free. The risk with Cousins is always that if the game environment allows for it the Vikings would prefer to be a run-heavy team, although that may change going forward depending on the severity of Dalvin Cook’s injury. He did underthrow Stefon Diggs a little on a deep ball when a throw in-stride would have probably been a touchdown, but he still completed the pass. Cousins draws a matchup with the Packers next week, which should be a competitive game with important playoff implications for both teams. Cousins would not be my first choice for my fantasy lineup, but he’ll be a top-ten option and if you got this far with him he should be safe to trust one more time.

Running Backs

Dalvin Cook: 9 carries, 27 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 16 yards

Mike Boone: 13 carries, 56 yards, 2 TDs

Ameer Abdullah: 5 carries, 25 yards

C.J. Ham: 1 carry, 5 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 13 yards

The big story out of this game was Dalvin Cook going down with a shoulder injury and being knocked out of the game. We don’t know how severe the injury is yet, but it’s the same shoulder he hurt earlier this season and it’s possible that even if he can play this week he’s at an increased risk of re-injury. Alexander Mattison missed this week with an ankle injury and it is also unclear if he’ll be ready to go next week. If Cook starts you have to play him in season-long leagues, his talent and potential workload are too high to fade. If Cook sits but Mattison is good to go, then Mattison would be a must-start. If both of those running backs miss with injury it would seem that Mike Boone is the next man up, as he stepped in for Cook after Cook’s injury. It’s harder to project a huge workload for Boone if he’s the starter, but he would still probably deserve to be in your starting lineup and should be a priority waiver add if we don’t get clarity on the aforementioned injuries.

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends

Stefon Diggs: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 76 yards | 1 carry, 4 yards

Adam Thielen: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 27 yards | 1 carry, 3 yards

Bisi Johnson: 1 target, 1 reception, 19 yards | 1 carry, 6 yards

Kyle Rudolph: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 48 yards

Irv Smith: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 8 yards, 1 TD

Stefon Diggs could have had a much bigger day if Kirk Cousins had put a little more air under a deep ball to him, but he was still very productive given how little the Vikings passed the ball in this game. Adam Thielen had a quiet return from his injury, and it would be difficult to trust him with a fantasy championship on the line. Kyle Rudolph drew a defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone that set up Irv Smith’s touchdown and finished second on the team in receiving yards. Thielen’s return cuts into Rudolph’s target share, but Rudolph’s red zone usage is enough to warrant starting him.

Los Angeles Chargers

Quarterback

Philip Rivers: 28/39, 307 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs

Philip Rivers had a tough day, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble while also taking three sacks. His first interception was a terrible throw into coverage that was easily intercepted by Harrison Smith, his second was an underthrown ball on a deep attempt down the sideline, and his third was another underthrown ball into coverage that was easily undercut by the defensive back. Rivers doesn’t deserve all the blame as the entire Chargers offense struggled with ball security and his last two interceptions came late in the game when he was pressing to get his team back in the game, but these were all bad throws. He gets to play the Raiders next week which should be an easy matchup and he clearly has no problem taking risks throwing the ball downfield so the upside is there for him to have a big fantasy game.

Running Backs

Melvin Gordon: 7 carries, 28 yards | 7 targets, 5 receptions, 36 yards

Austin Ekeler: 7 carries, 19 yards | 7 targets, 5 receptions, 62 yards

Justin Jackson: 5 carries, 15 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 2 yards

Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler split the backfield work evenly, with Justin Jackson also getting some work. They also each fumbled, with Ekeler’s being recovered by the Chargers and Gordon watching both of his fumbles go to the Vikings. Ekeler is being used more as a downfield option out of the backfield, which gives him a safer floor especially in PPR leagues. Gordon probably has a higher chance of getting the goal-line work, although both backs figure to be a factor in the red zone. Ekeler would be the preferred option, but both are solid flex plays in a great matchup against the Raiders next week.

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends

Keenan Allen: 10 targets, 9 receptions, 99 yards

Mike Williams: 9 targets, 4 receptions, 71 yards, 1 TD

Andre Patton: 1 target, 1 reception, 8 yards

Hunter Henry: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 29 yards

All three of Philip Rivers’ interceptions came when he was targeting Mike Williams downfield, which shows that Rivers is looking for him down the field when the Chargers need to push the ball. Williams made several nice catches, including both a 39-yard reception and a very impressive 2-yard touchdown catch where he boxed out the defensive back and went up to get the ball. Williams combines being a deep threat with red-zone work, which makes him a high end WR3 at least in a great matchup against Oakland next week. Keenan Allen saw ten targets and caught nine, finishing just shy of the 100-yard mark. His route-running looked as impressive as ever and he is still the top target for the Chargers. He doesn’t get the downfield looks that Williams does, but he’s still a very valuable receiver and should be started confidently in all formats. Hunter Henry was quiet aside from losing a fumble today, and his target count has been trending the wrong direction, but it would be hard to find a better option on waivers.

— Dan Adams