For the second week in a row, the Minnesota Vikings played a game outside of North America. The Vikings were narrowly defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers last week in Dublin. This week, Minnesota was able to get back on track with a comeback 21-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in London. The early start always throws us off a bit in fantasy football, having to make lineup decisions earlier than we’d like. If you had any action early on, we’re going to recap some of that and what it means moving forward.
Dillon Gabriel’s first NFL start
The Browns opted to bench veteran QB Joe Flacco in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel vs. the Vikings. The Oregon product was pretty neutral in his first bit of NFL action in the regular season. He completed 19 of 33 passes for 190 yards and a pair of TDs, each to a tight end (Harold Fannin Jr. and David Njoku). That was good for 16.1 fantasy points on Yahoo, nothing spectacular but not a number that would sink your lineup entirely, especially in Superflex and 2QB leagues. Gabriel didn’t look too out of place and made a few good plays in the red zone.
Advertisement
The Browns should continue to lean on rookie RB Quinshon Judkins, who we’ll cover next, but Gabriel may be decent as a game manager. He targeted Njoku nine times and rookie WR Isaiah Bond seven times. Outside of that, the Browns really spread the ball around. Gabriel may not be a boon to the rest of the Browns’ skill position players but he won’t be a negative. He could have fringe QB1 value in certain matchups as he gets a better grasp on the offense. But in most leagues, Gabriel can be left on the waiver wire outside of deeper Superflex or 2QB leagues.
[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]
Quinshon Judkins continues to shine
Judkins has been fantastic since entering the lineup in Week 2. While he didn’t post a huge fantasy day (13.3 points), Judkins was still the focal point of the offense and has complete control of this backfield. He finished with 19+ touches for the third straight week, this game accumulating 24 (including one reception) for 128 total yards and no TDs. He had a long touchdown run called back due to a hold on Bond, a play that would have thrust Judkins into the conversation for RB1 overall in Week 5.
Advertisement
Judkins is pretty much locked into an RB1 slot in fantasy lineups. He has top-10 upside the rest of the season and should continue to be the focus on offense until Gabriel shows us he can sling it. Even then, Judkins is involved enough in the passing game.
Jordan Addison rebounds after sitting first quarter
Managers were thrilled to see Addison making big plays last week in Dublin, finishing with four catches on eight targets for 114 yards. He likely had managers tilting their faces off through the first quarter thanks to a benching. Addison reportedly missed a walkthrough this week and didn’t get a snap in the opening quarter. He would return in the second quarter and finish the game strong, making three key catches on the final drive, one the game-winning score. Addison would finish with solid WR3/FLEX numbers at five catches on six targets for 41 yards and a TD (12.6 points).
Advertisement
The benching is somewhat concerning, but Addison is the clear second option behind Justin Jefferson and is too good to leave off the field. Addison will be a solid WR2/3 coming out of the Vikings’ bye week.
Will J.J. McCarthy be ready to return in Week 7?
Backup QB Carson Wentz, who has been filling in for McCarthy since Week 3, left Sunday’s matchup vs. the Browns with a shoulder injury. Wentz was able to return and lead the comeback, plus he finished with 236 passing yards and a TD. That was good for 14.74 fantasy points, which isn’t getting it done really.
It will be interesting to see which direction Kevin O’Connell goes in for Week 7 vs. the Eagles. McCarthy should be ready to return from a high-ankle sprain and you’d expect, when healthy, would be the starter. Still, Wentz came pretty close to going 3-0 in relief of the first-year starter. Might the Vikings ride the wave with Wentz and allow for McCarthy to get extra time to get right? One could argue outside of that fourth quarter vs. Chicago in Week 1, Wentz has looked far better than McCarthy under center. This is a situation we’ll be keeping a close eye on going into Week 7.
Read the full article here
