Minnesota Vikings DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers has a road matchup against their division-rival Chicago Bears on tap this Sunday. Akers has been far from efficient with his rush attempts over the last two weeks (23/63[2.74 YPC]), but he had at least 12 touches in each appearance and got into the end zone for the third time this season in Week 11's victory over the Tennessee Titans. It's unclear whether his workload has been due to backfield mate Aaron Jones (ribs) and his injury. Still, he's seen his snap share rise in each of the previous three contests. Chicago has been a decent matchup for fantasy running backs, allowing 17.4 points to the position -; a bottom-half of the league number. The 25-year-old's workload could be spotty, but he has a good shot at being effective with his touches against a unit allowing 4.8 yards per carry on the season. He's RotoBaller's PPR RB34 in this week's rankings.

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson said he "would expect things to go up" in Week 12 against the division-rival Chicago Bears and for the rest of the season in terms of his offensive snaps. Fellow TE Josh Oliver (ankle) has already been ruled out, so Hockenson should be on the field more in his fourth game of the season on Sunday. The 27-year-old has seen his snap percentages slowly increase since Week 9, as he played 45% of the snaps in Week 9, 46% in Week 10 and 48% last week. While Hockenson hasn't been amazing in his first three games, he hasn't been invisible, either, catching 13 of his 16 targets for 112 yards, including an eight-catch, 72-yard performance in the Week 10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bears defense isn't an ideal matchup, but Hockenson should have a higher fantasy ceiling and floor as at least a low-end TE1 this weekend.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (ribs) will look to bounce back in Week 12 when his team squares off against the Chicago Bears in a divisional clash. The 29-year-old had a tough go last Sunday in the Vikings' 23-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans -; putting up his worst fantasy performance thus far in 2024 (5.3 PPR points). However, Chicago presents as a solid opportunity to put the subpar outing behind him. The Bears defensive unit is affording their opponent's rushing attack 4.8 yards per carry this season and allows an average of 17.4 fantasy points per game to the running back position. With Minnesota's division rivals being staunch against the pass, they could be in store for a heavy dose of Jones. The veteran ranks as RotoBaller's PPR RB16 for Week 12.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (foot) is ready to go ahead of the Week 12 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Darnold was limited by a foot injury to begin the week. However, Darnold appears to be fine now after back-to-back full practice sessions. Fantasy managers should expect Darnold to be a full-go for Sunday's important divisional game. Darnold has cooled off a bit since his hot beginning to the season, but is still a viable fantasy option. Fantasy managers should treat him as a low-end QB1 for this weekend.

Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver (ankle) has been ruled out ahead of the Week 12 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Oliver hasn't been able to practice all week due to a lingering ankle issue. His absence won't mean too much for the Vikings offense. Oliver has taken a backseat with T.J. Hockenson back in the mix. Last week, Oliver hauled in all three of his targets for 34 yards in the win over the Tennessee Titans. The absence of Oliver means that Hockenson should see a full-time role and could be an uptick for his value. However, Hockenson should already be treated as a TE1 heading into this game.