Sunday, May 05, 2024

Fantasy Football

Ceilings and Floors: Minnesota Vikings

This is the 24th of 32 Ceilings and Floors, covering each NFL team’s QBs, RBs, WRs, and TEs. We finish the NFC North with the Minnesota Vikings. In case you missed it, here is the breakdown for the Green Bay Packers. (Depth Charts courtesy of footballguys.com)

Ceilings and Floors: Quarterback

QB1: Kirk Cousins

CEILING: 32 TDs, 4,400 yards, Kirk likes that.

FLOOR: 24 TDs, 3,500 yards, and the loss of Diggs shows Cousins is just average.

PREDICTION: Cousins has been pretty consistent the last few years, and I expect 27 TDs, 4,000 yards. I don’t like him that much, but you could do much worse at QB.

QB2: Sean Mannion

CEILING: Cousins goes down,and Mannion gets to back up whoever Minnesota acquires to replace Cousins.

FLOOR: Mannion doubles his career TDs, which are 0.

PREDICTION: There isn’t much variation between his floor and ceiling, and in this particular case, that is not good.

QB3: Nate Stanley

CEILING: He has a real shot at QB2, but not at starting, Minnesota will acquire someone over him also.

FLOOR: He is beaten out by Sean Mannion.

PREDICTION: Stanley sticks around longer than Mannion. But neither should occupy any space in your mind.

Ceilings and Floors: Running Back

RB1: Dalvin Cook

CEILING: Cook stays healthy again, and rumbles for 16 total TDs along with 1,900 total yards.

FLOOR: Injuries could make his floor fall out, but if healthy, 8 total TDs and 1,200 yards look like a lock.

PREDICTION: Cook showed up in 2019, and losing Diggs might mean more touches for the dynamic playmaker. I will take 12 total TDs and 1,500 yards please.

RB2: Alexander Mattison

CEILING: Mattison complements Cook and spells him periodically, scoring 5 total TDs along with 800 total yards. If Cook goes down, a 16 game season could look like 10 total TDs, 1,200 yards.

FLOOR: Mattison has to fight for touches, is underutilized, and Cook goes nuclear. 2 total TDs, 400 yards.

PREDICTION: Mattison looked solid in his limited role last year. Cook is the workhorse, but Mattison will vulture some value. 3 total TDs, 600 yards.

RB3: Mike Boone, RB4: Ameer Abdullah

CEILING: I don’t see either contributing in a big way unless Cook goes down. If he does, the most you can hope for is 4 TDs and 500 yards.

FLOOR: The top two eat up all the touches at RB, and neither of them see any offensive snaps.

PREDICTION: Minnesota has two better backs. Why would these two get the ball? Don’t expect much even if injuries occur.

Ceilings and Floors: Wide Receiver

WR1: Adam Thielen

CEILING: Thielen relishes the spotlight as the primary option, and responds with 10 TDs and 1,500 yards.

FLOOR: Thielen needs other weapons to keep the pressure off him, and regresses in a big way. 4 TDs, 800 yards.

PREDICTION: Big year for Thielen, he isn’t getting younger and he lost his running mate. I think 6 TDs, 1,000 yards is in the picture.

WR2: Justin Jefferson

CEILING: Jefferson carries last season’s momentum into the NFL, and vaults into WR1 for Minnesota. 10 TDs, 1,200 yards.

FLOOR: Jefferson takes a while to adjust, and struggles without a Heisman throwing him the ball versus college DBs. 3 TDs, 400 yards.

PREDICTION: Jefferson will have every opportunity to have a big year. I think by the end of the year he has it figured out. I will take 7 TDs and 1,100 yards.

WR3: Olabisi Johnson

CEILING: Johnson embraces WR3, He scores 5 times and adds 600 receiving yards.

FLOOR: 200 yards and 2 TDs, a regression from 2019.

PREDICTION: Johnson doesn’t jump off the page to me. I see WR3 as his ceiling, and WR5 as his floor. 2 TDs, 300 yards.

WR4: Tajae Sharpe

CEILING: 500 yards, 5 TDs as WR3.

FLOOR: Is passed up by enough WRs in the depth chart, that he no longer merits rostering, fantasy or otherwise.

PREDICTION: Sharpe has a shot at WR3 here. But I don’t foresee a big year regardless. 2 TDs, 400 yards.

WR5: K.J. Osborn

CEILING: Osborn breaks out as a big-play threat, vaulting into WR3 territory for Minnesota. 7 TDs, 700 yards.

FLOOR: Osborn is too small, and didn’t do enough in college to merit excitement. 0 TDs, 150 yards.

PREDICTION: Osborn is going to have a few big plays this year, but his consistency will not be there yet. 2 TDs, 300 yards.

WR6: Chad Beebe

CEILING: This guy has never dropped a ball. He has only caught 6 in two years though. I expect he sees less than that in 2020.

FLOOR: Can we just admit that his ceiling is so low, a floor seems redundant?

PREDICTION: He does not play, and is passed by Davis.

WR7: Quartney Davis

CEILING: Davis can play. I don’t believe WR7 is where he finishes. He could move as high as WR3 by year end. scoring 5 times and adding 500 yards.

FLOOR: Davis doesn’t play, and is out of the league in two years.

PREDICTION: I like Davis as a flyer in dynasty, I think he has potential to be a depth guy in fantasy, and a low-end WR2 for some team in the future. 1 TD, 150 yards.

Ceilings and Floors: Tight End

TE1: Kyle Rudolph

CEILING: 9 TDs, 850 yards, and a major fantasy asset.

FLOOR: 4 TDs, 400 yards, and Smith moves past him on the depth chart.

PREDICTION: Rudolph has consistenly performed average or better on a per game basis, and I expect more of the same. 6 TDs, 600 yards.

TE2: Irv Smith

CEILING: The offseason hype on Smith has been big. He lives up to the call, scoring 9 TDs along with 850 yards.

FLOOR: The hype was hollow, and Irv strikes a nerve with his fantasy owners, scoring 2 TDs along with 300 yards.

PREDICTION: I like Smith’s potential, but Rudolph impedes his growth towards an elite option. I still see 4 TDs and 600 yards.

TE3: Tyler Conklin, TE4: Brandon Dillon

CEILING: A TE above them in the depth chart drops, and between the two of these guys, they manage 3 TDs and 300 yards.

FLOOR: Only one of them makes the team, and he blocks alot.

PREDICTION: Neither of these guys contribute in any meaningful way in 2020, and neither have a chance as moving past TE3. 0 TDs, 72 yards.

Enjoy this article? Follow me on Twitter to get updates when new content is released @realryanhicks, including the rest of my Ceilings and Floors. Up next is The Atlanta Falcons. Also check out what else Belly Up Fantasy is cooking up, and follow @BellyUpFantasy for all your Fantasy Sports needs.