Team Profile
Minnesota Vikings
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2.9% 15thOff DVOA
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24.7% 12thPassing DVOA
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-9.6% 19thRushing DVOA
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-15.4% 2ndDef DVOA
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-12.8% 1stDef Passing DVOA
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-20.2% 5thDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
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Points For25.4 10th
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Points Against19.5 4th
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Yards Per Game347.0 12th
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Yards Allowed Per Game336.0 16th
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones reportedly struggled with arm strength and deep passes early in training camp, but Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports that he has "shaken off the rust" and is no longer underthrowing passes down the field. "[He] uncorked a beautiful deep ball to Jalin Hyatt for a long touchdown today. They also hooked up for a short TD pass on a slant when Nick McCloud seemed to expect help inside that didn't come," Duggan wrote on X. While this is a promising note, it's tough to buy in on Jones in 2024 after his lost 2023 season. The 27-year-old is coming off a torn ACL, which could limit his rushing upside this season. First-round wideout Malik Nabers (ankle) is also banged up, and although he should be ready to go for Week 1, his ankle injury could slow down his development at least a little bit. All that said, Jones currently carries an ADP around the QB31 spot, so he can be picked as a late-round flier in deep Superflex formats. He's practically free in drafts, so it won't hurt fantasy managers if he busts in his sixth NFL campaign.
Based on conversations ESPN's Dan Graziano had with Minnesota Vikings officials, he expects the team to try to get running back Aaron Jones 15 to 18 touches per game and use Ty Chandler as a 1B to Jones' 1A. It's possible some weeks will call for Jones to see upwards of 20 touches, but the Vikings have watched him closely for years and think he has always been at his best when he has had a complementary back such as Jamaal Williams or AJ Dillon. With that said, Jones will offer a more explosive element in the running game than Alexander Mattison did last year, and Minnesota believes the 29-year-old still has plenty left in the tank to be their lead back in 2024. But he's right around the age where RBs start to break down, so the Vikes will be careful with his workload, which makes him more of a low-end RB2 target in his first year in Minnesota.
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones will likely play in the team's second preseason contest against the Houston Texans next Saturday, according to head coach Brian Daboll. Jones is on the mend this offseason after suffering a season-ending torn ACL in 2023. The 27-year-old former first-rounder was medically cleared for all activities to start training camp at the end of July, but the Giants chose to keep him out of the preseason opener this past Thursday night against the Detroit Lions. It's unlikely that Jones will play very much against the Texas, but it will give us a chance to see how he's moving around as he returns from a serious knee injury. Jones got an upgrade in the receiving corps with first-round wideout Malik Nabers this year, but he's in a prove-it season in New York and should be treated as a low-end QB2 in fantasy in 2024.
The Minnesota Vikings anticipate a suspension coming at some point for wide receiver Jordan Addison, who faces drunken-driving charges in California after his arrest there last month. But due to the speed with which these matters move at the league office, the Vikings believe that any suspension would come either late this season or during the 2025 offseason. There was some concern that an Addison suspension could overlap with the early part of the season when they'll be without tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee), but that doesn't seem likely. Fantasy managers considering taking Addison in upcoming drafts will want to be prepared to lose him at perhaps the most important time later in the year, but they can rest easy knowing he shouldn't be suspended early in 2024, and perhaps maybe not at all in his second NFL campaign.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor, a sixth-round pick in 2022, seems to have emerged as the pretty clear favorite for the No. 3 wideout job this year behind starters Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison thanks to a strong training camp. Brandon Powell and Trent Sherfield Sr. will also have roles, especially because they are willing run-blockers in a scheme that requires that of its receivers, but Nailor is the one who has made the most plays in camp. The Vikings listed Nailor and Powell as co-starters at WR3 on their first unofficial depth chart of the preseason. The 25-year-old Nailor isn't going to be drafted in standard 12-team leagues, but he could be a sneaky waiver-wire pickup at some point in 2024 if Addison is forced to miss time due to a suspension. Nailor has caught 12 of 19 targets for 208 yards and one touchdown in his first two years in the league in 21 games (one start).