Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings rookie kicker Will Reichard (quadriceps), who was activated from Injured Reserve on Saturday, is officially active for the Week 14 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. Reichard was listed as questionable on the final injury report this week but will end up playing for the first time since he landed on IR in early November due to a strained right quadriceps in the win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9. With Reichard coming back for the Vikings, the team waived John Parker Romo, who had been filling in admirably for Minnesota with Reichard sidelined. Before going on IR, the 23-year-old Reichard had gone 14-for-16 on his field-goal tries while making all 23 of his extra-point attempts in his first eight NFL games. He'll be a bit more risky in fantasy coming off his quad injury, but Reichard should at least be considered a streaming option with six teams on bye in Week 14.

The Minnesota Vikings have not engaged in long-term extension talks with quarterback Sam Darnold, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Darnold was brought in last offseason as a bridge quarterback, but he has been a pleasant surprise, completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 2,952 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while leading the Vikings to an impressive 10-2 record. His success creates a predicament for the Vikings, who have surely been impressed by his performance and would be interested in bringing him back. However, Minnesota also made an enormous commitment to rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, selecting him with the 10th overall pick and developing him before he had to be shut down due to a knee injury. McCarthy remains the Vikings' franchise quarterback of the future, and his anticipated return in 2025 could be one of the reasons why Minnesota is hesitant to offer Darnold a long-term extension. Regardless of what offer the Vikings make, Darnold should open 2025 as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard (quad) has been activated from the injured reserve on Saturday. The rookie kicker appears ready to go after missing the last four games due to a strained quad. Before going down, Reichard knocked down 14-of-16 field goal attempts while making all 23 extra-point tries in eight games. The Vikings have waived fellow kicker John Parker Romo, so Reichard will reclaim the starting kicker role ahead of the Week 14 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Fantasy managers in need of help at the kicker spot this weekend should take a look at Reichard.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor remains a low-volume option and should be benched in most fantasy leagues ahead of his Week 14 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Nailor carved out a solid target share and scoring opportunities early in the season, but he has come back down to earth and earned fewer looks as the clear No. 3 wide receiver behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Nailor has been held to one catch (or less) in each of his last five games, and although he does have two touchdowns in that span, his scoring options are unpredictable and the risk of him turning in a clunker outweighs the potential modest reward of him catching one pass for one touchdown. Nailor is still one of the more fantasy-relevant No. 3 receivers in the NFL, but as long as Jefferson and Addison stay healthy, he can be left on waivers in most fantasy leagues. That remains the case this week as the Vikings face the Falcons. Atlanta has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this year, but that stat has more favorable implications for Jefferson and Addison than it does for Nailor.

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson will line up against the Atlanta Falcons this weekend in a middle-of-the-road matchup. The 27-year-old has been hot and cold this season, alternating between strong and sub-par performances. He'll take on a Falcons defense that's allowed only 54 receptions to the tight end position thus far -- the ninth-fewest in the NFL. Still, Atlanta has been a favorable matchup through the air in 2024 -- letting up the twelfth-most passing yards per game. The only question left for Hockenson is whether he can recapture the consistency he showcased over the previous few seasons. He's RotoBaller's PPR TE7 ahead of Week 14.