A Vikings fan’s guide to fantasy football in 2020

Is your fantasy football draft coming up?

Here are some tips on which Vikings players you should focus on.

Expect Adam Thielen to bounce back in 2020

Thielen finished the 2019 season as WR64 in fantasy rankings and ended the regular season with 30 receptions for 418 yards and six touchdowns. But things have changed in 2020. Now that Stefon Diggs is in Buffalo, Thielen is the clear top receiver for Kirk Cousins. Yes, he missed six games in 2019, but before that, he hadn’t missed a game in his entire NFL career since joining the league in 2014. The Detroit Lakes native would be a great choice as WR2.

Dalvin Cook is worth the second overall pick

Aside from Christian McCaffrey who is the obvious top pick, Cook is in that next running back top-tier group with Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott, especially in PPR leagues. He recorded 1,135 and 13 touchdowns on the ground and 53 receptions for 519 yards in 2019 in 14 games and there are no signs of him slowing down in 2020. If Cook can withstand a 16-game schedule for the first time in his career, then this pick will be even better.

Kirk Cousins is a great backup option

Cousins wound up at QB15 by the end of 2019, so if he returns back to that form this season he could be a great late-round pick. He threw 26 touchdowns and six interceptions last year and those numbers would be perfectly fine as an emergency starter. If you’ve played fantasy long enough, you’ve probably had to bite the bullet and start someone unimpressive when your starter is injured or on a bye week. We’d suggest targeting to play Cousins when the Vikings are on the road — he’s had more passing yards and touchdowns away from Minnesota than at home in each of the past two seasons. Grab Cousins at some point later in the draft to save yourself the trouble later on.

Don’t be too high on Vikings D/ST

The Vikings’ defense should be at least decent in 2020 but if you are going to draft a defense high, stick with the 49ers, Bills or Steelers. Minnesota has lost key pieces in its defensive line and secondary and while Mike Zimmer is a very good defensive coach, there are too many question marks to warrant a higher selection.

Bisi Johnson could be a nice late-round pick

According to reports, Johnson has emerged over Justin Jefferson as the No. 2 receiving option on the Vikings. Considering Johnson started six games and recorded 294 receiving yards and three scores in 2019, he will not be high on people’s draft boards. If he continues his rise on Minnesota’s depth chart in training camp, Johnson could be a great late-round pick or free agent to add to your team.

Let your friend draft Justin Jefferson

There has been a ton of hype around rookie receiver Justin Jefferson, and deservedly so based on his college production and training camp highlights. That said, Jefferson may not be the No. 2 receiver for Minnesota in 2020 and he will also have to adjust to the NFL with limited practice time before the season. Jefferson will probably contribute well as a rookie but there are better, more established options to take instead of him.

So, where are the Vikings being drafted?

We looked at five leaders in the fantasy industry — ESPN, CBS, Yahoo Sports, Fantasy Football Calculator and Fantasy Pros — to search each site’s average draft position (ADP) assigned to Vikings players, based on the results of online drafts thus far.