Minnesota Vikings DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (hand) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. Darnold has been limited in practice this week, but appears ready to play this weekend. He's coming off a rough performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars where he threw three interceptions in the win. The hope is that Darnold will rebound this weekend now that the hand issue is hopefully behind him. Fantasy managers should be able to count on Darnold to play better in Week 11.

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) had a biologic injection to deal with intermittent swelling in his right knee, according to a source, not a second surgery, as was reported on Wednesday. There has been no change in McCarthy's recovery timeline. "He's really knocked it out of the park every step of the way, and as his rehab has picked up, we noticed a little swelling in there. He's been doing everything we asked of him, but just wanted to make sure that there was no cause for concern, and all reports were very positive," head coach Kevin O'Connell said. The 21-year-old first-rounder had surgery for a torn meniscus on Aug. 14, assuring he won't make his NFL debut until 2025. McCarthy should be rostered in all dynasty/keeper formats with the Vikings hoping he can be their QB of the future. Current starter Sam Darnold has faded a bit after a hot start in 2024.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (ribs) was limited in Thursday's practice for the second straight day this week. Jones missed almost a quarter of action in the Week 10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a rib injury, but X-rays came back negative, and he was able to return to the contest. The 29-year-old may have to deal with some pain, but all signs point to him suiting up in Week 11 on Sunday to face the Tennessee Titans on the road. If for some reason Jones was limited or out this weekend, the Vikings would likely split their backfield with Cam Akers and Ty Chandler. Jones only has two rushing touchdowns in his first year with the Vikings, but he also has rushed for 653 yards on 142 carries while catching 28 passes for 258 yards and another TD in nine games. If active this weekend, he should be locked into fantasy lineups as an RB2.

Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver (hand, wrist) was officially listed as limited in the team's first practice of Week 11. The 27-year-old has dealt with a wrist issue for weeks at this point, but it hasn't forced him to miss any in-game action. However, the hand designation is news as it had not been previously mentioned on the team's injury report. That he could practice in a limited fashion is likely good news for his status this Sunday when the team squares off against the Tennessee Titans. Still, he'll have two more opportunities to elevate his participation before the road tilt. Oliver was used a decent amount in Week 10's 12-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars (4/52 on six targets) despite teammate T.J. Hockenson's increased involvement in the offense (8/72 on nine targets). If he can't play this coming Sunday, TE Johnny Mundt figures to pick up more snaps when the team travels to Nashville.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (right hand) was limited during Wednesday's practice. Darnold picked up the injury after throwing an interception during Sunday's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The fact that Darnold was estimated as a limited participant and not a DNP suggests that the hand injury should not be too serious. Darnold has experienced a resurgent season as the Vikings' quarterback in 2024. He has thrown for 2,141 yards and 17 touchdowns in nine games. However, Darnold has faltered in recent weeks as opposing teams appear to be figuring him out. He has thrown six interceptions since the Vikings' Week 6 bye. He has only thrown six touchdowns in that same timeframe. Still, Darnold is the Vikings' best option so hopefully his injury does not affect him or the Vikings' skill position players too much.