#oc: latavius

[boyybites]

He took me a good few hours but meet Latavius, once shiny decor now just drifting on the breeze trying to find a new purpose.

Really just wanted a new shiny blue man<3

[myatheeartist]

My oc Zachariah-Theoderrick Latavius-Augustine Claybrooks ♥️

(Yes his name long af it’s Bc he pretentious and annoying 😭)

[cskyan]

LOOK: Sean Payton gets slimed after Nickelodeon game, following through on promise with Saints playoff win  CBS Sports

New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees readies for 'inevitable' playoff matchup vs. Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers  ESPN

Everyone’s Making The Same Joke About Tony Romo On Sunday  The Spun

Bears vs. Saints: Key Matchups to Watch in NFC Wild Card Game  Sports Illustrated

Saints' Drew Brees tosses a 'pop-a-shot' touchdown pass to Latavius Murray  ESPN

View Full Coverage on Google News

[junker-town]

Why all 4 teams can and can’t win a wide-open NFC South

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

With Drew Brees out and the Bucs defense rolling, the South is up for grabs.

Week 2 proved it; the NFC South is a bit of a mess.

It started when the Buccaneers made every writer at SB Nation (and almost every other NFL expert around the picks universe) wrong by smothering the Panthers in a Thursday Night Football win. That same game, Cam Newton aggravated a foot injury, leaving his status for the next game in doubt. Then the Saints lost Drew Brees to a thumb injury that will cost him roughly half the season and cost New Orleans its revenge vs. the Rams in a rematch of last year’s NFC title game. To cap it all off, the Falcons — left for dead in a lackluster opening week loss to Minnesota — overcame three different Matt Ryan brain farts to hold off the Eagles at home.

All that left the division in a weird position. The three teams with former regular season MVPs behind center — Carolina, Atlanta, and New Orleans �� all have major questions to answer about their passing offense thanks to either injury or inefficiency. The fourth team, Tampa Bay, is used to inconsistency at quarterback but might just have the defensive chops to overcome that in 2019.

So who is going to escape this murky swamp of uncertainty and crown themselves king of the South?

Atlanta Falcons

Why the Falcons can win the NFC South: Brees’ injury leaves Atlanta with the division’s top intact offense, and an on-point Ryan can throw his team to the postseason. His 2018 season was the second-best of his career, trailing only the 2016 campaign that ended in Super Bowl 51. While he’s off that pace now, he’s got the tools to push the Falcons back to the top of the NFC South. His offensive line is trending upward slightly, leaving him with more time to throw in the pocket and a lower sack rate through two games thus far (from 6.5 percent to 5.3).

Even if he’s rushed, Ryan has a pair of go-to weapons who can bail him out of bad situations in Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. Ridley continues to blossom into a valuable NFL weapon after an eight-catch (on 10 targets), 105-yard performance on Sunday night. That was great, but it was Jones who showcased his otherworldly athleticism while bailing out his offense for its first win of the season:

give Julio another extension, i don't care what he's making now pic.twitter.com/13DVgGPpKS

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) September 16, 2019

The Falcons’ defense has been better than advertised, despite its share of faults. Only four teams in the league allow fewer yards per play than Atlanta’s 4.6. That unit has also created an average of two turnovers per game, including a pair of interceptions that made preseason MVP candidate Carson Wentz look downright silly on Sunday night.

Why they can’t: That 4.6 number is more a product of the Vikings’ only throwing the ball 10 times in an opening week rout than an actual top five performance. Atlanta’s insistence on letting Philadelphia back into their Week 2 game is proof this defense can still make baffling mistakes like Nelson Aglohor’s way-too-easy catch on fourth-and-14 late in a one-possession game. Opponents have converted 50 percent of their third down situations, which leaves the Falcons ranked just 24th in time of possession so far this season.

Ryan’s gameplan on Sunday night was to pick on cornerback Ronald Darby, and while that worked to perfection on some throws, the former MVP straight-up missed his targets on a significant number of his passes.

.@realronalddarby comes up clutch!#PHIvsATL | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/H5MfUea5c3

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 16, 2019

As a result, Ryan’s gone from looking like a top tier QB to a man with a 5:5 TD:INT ratio and the league’s 23rd-best passer rating. His offense has converted less than 30 percent of its third down opportunities (5 of 18).

The Falcons overcame those lapses in Week 2 (thanks in part to a superhuman effort from Jones), but they don’t have the kind of defense that can stand up and regularly win games if their offense can’t put 20+ points on the board. Any defensive gains to start the year come with the caveat that they came against a Vikings team that looks lost with Kirk Cousins at quarterback and an Eagles team whose receiving corps was decimated by injuries in Week 2.

Plus, if we’re banking on a team to avoid injuries throughout the regular season, the Falcons have traditionally been one of the worst bets you can make.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Why the Buccaneers can win the NFC South: The Bucs were expected to jump start their offense after hiring quarterback guru Bruce Arians this offseason. Instead, Tampa’s defense has been its source of hope. The club ranked 31st in yards allowed per play last season, but the arrival of defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has transformed this team into a top five unit. Opposing passers — Jimmy Garoppolo and Cam Newton, thus far — have averaged a 73.0 passer rating against the Buccaneers.

That’s good, but Tampa Bay’s run defense has been even stingier. Bowles’ group limited the Niners to only three yards per carry before shutting down Christian McCaffrey, limiting the Pro Bowl back to 37 yards on 16 carries and stuffing him on the biggest play of the game Thursday night.

PRIMETIME PLAYERS MAKE PRIMETIME PLAYS#GoBucs | #TBvsCAR pic.twitter.com/r8mfOdIJid

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 13, 2019

Why they can’t: Jameis Winston is one game removed from a three-interception performance, where each errant throw was dumber than the one that preceded it. He gave up two second half pick-sixes in a game Tampa went on to lose by 14, and those lapses fail to inspire confidence he can lead his team back from a fourth quarter deficit. Even with Arians lending his guidance, Winston was Sports Information Systems’ lowest-grade QB of Week 1.

A strong running game could balance out his mistakes while supplementing his occasional playmaking, but the Bucs need a breakout sophomore campaign from Ronald Jones (four carries for nine yards against Carolina) to overcome a talent-deficient depth chart. Bowles got the most from a defense that’s low on star power in Week 2, but is a 27-year-old Shaquil Barrett really headed for a breakthrough in his sixth season in the league? Or will his hot start prove unsustainable?

Bowles has to hope it’s the former; he’s the only player on the roster to record a sack so far.

Carolina Panthers

Why the Panthers can win the NFC South: Carolina is dotted with star power on both sides of the ball, including All-Pros in McCaffrey and Luke Kuechly. A potent defensive front woke up against Tampa, sacking Winston on nearly 11 percent of his pass attempts and hitting him on nine of his 28 dropbacks in Week 2. Cam Newton is only 30 years old, which suggests his severe regression through two games is an anomaly and not a trend.

Plus, this is an odd-numbered year, which is when the Panthers traditionally outperform expectations and finish with a winning record.

Why they can’t: Newton is injured and, not coincidentally, has struggled mightily; his 6.4 yards per attempt is the lowest of his career to date. He’s been the league’s least accurate passer, per Pro Football Focus, through two games.

Highest percentage of uncatchable passes through two weeks: Cam Newton 34.2% Mitchell Trubisky 27.8 Ryan Fitzpatrick 27.3 Kirk Cousins 27.0 Kyler Murray 22.9 Matthew Stafford 22.9

— Steve Palazzolo (@PFF_Steve) September 16, 2019

A big function of that is his foot injury and a deficient offensive line that’s allowed pass rushers to become a constant behind the line of scrimmage; Newton has only had an average of 2.37 seconds before firing off passes this fall, the second-lowest number in the league behind Russell Wilson. That’s far below the 2.72s mark he posted in 2017, the last year Carolina made it to the postseason.

McCaffrey has been a valuable safety valve, but Tampa proved that shutting him down effectively grounds the entire Panthers offense. Bowles held Carolina to fewer than five yards per play, and while Newton eventually pushed three different targets to 89 or more receiving yards he needed 36 passes to get them there (via a 55 percent catch rate). The Panthers have the personnel to field a top 10 defense, but shoddy blocking and inconsistent play calling could keep them from fielding the offense needed to take advantage of that.

New Orleans Saints

Why the Saints can win the NFC South: Losing Drew Brees robs New Orleans of a perennial MVP candidate, but the team can slot in the league’s top backup rotation and stay afloat for the six(ish) weeks the veteran quarterback is slated to miss. Teddy Bridgewater may not be the ascendant talent he was before his devastating 2016 knee injury, but he’s still capable of running an offense. He was hamstrung by a downright bad offensive line in LA (three sacks allowed, three holding penalties in the second half) but that may not last through the rest of the season; Brees had a comfortable 2.83 average seconds in the pocket before throwing this fall, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

OC Pete Carmichael is capable of building a dynamic game plan around him with healthy doses of players like Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Latavius Murray, and Jared Cook. If Week 2 was any indication, he’ll get some flashes of inspiration from backup QB/WR/RB Taysom Hill as well. The New Orleans offense can retain the unpredictable spark that made it so dangerous, even with Bridgewater in the lineup.

A useful Saints defense is slated to get even better once Sheldon Rankins returns from injury, as the Cameron Jordan/Trey Hendrickson edge rushing experience has already combined for five sacks and four tackles for loss. That group kept the Rams out of the end zone well into the third quarter of their Week 2 loss in LA before that dam burst and ended in three second half scores for the home team.

Why they can’t: Brees was the gravity that held this solar system together. Bridgewater, in two meaningful games with the Saints, has averaged just 5.3 yards per pass and found the end zone once in 52 attempts. Hill, who would be the next man up if Bridgewater continues to struggle, completed only 58 percent of his passes at BYU and has only taken meaningful NFL snaps in gadget plays.

Brees’ flexibility and ability to thread throws into ever-tightening windows is irreplaceable, even with All-Pro caliber talent at wideout and tailback. That resulted in a litany of check down passes from Bridgewater in Week 2. Games against the Seahawks, Cowboys, and Bears all loom before Halloween. If he can’t dial up some of the big plays that made his successor so great then New Orleans could sit at .500 or worse by the time Brees returns to the field.

The Saints’ defense is solid against the pass, but butt against the rush. Opponents have averaged 5.6 yards per carry so far in 2019. Rankins’ return will make that less egregiously bad, but limited returns from the linebacking corps could make this New Orleans’ fatal flaw even after Brees returns.

[shervonfakhimi]

The 2019 ‘My Guys’ List

Everyone’s got their list. Everyone has their favorite sleepers and breakouts for the upcoming fantasy football season. Recently, I began listening to The Fantasy Footballers podcast and they released their ‘My Guys’ episode. Essentially, the trio gave to the public three different players they believe in and believe will take a leap as players and help you win your fantasy football leagues. That inspired me to create a list of my ‘my guys.’ Except my list does not only consist of three players; it is 24 deep. Draft season is here. Let me help you win your league (except if you play in the same league as me. Which, if that’s the case, there really isn’t anything to see here!).

QBs:  

Carson Wentz PHI: Wentz was well on his way to an MVP caliber season and Top 5 fantasy QB finish before he tore his ACL against the Rams. He came back this previous season but took some time (as is customary for players the first season coming off a torn ACL) to get his feet and rhythm back as well as have his offensive line protect him the way they did his 2017 season. The offensive line is back healthy and stocked with the addition of first-round pick Andre Dillard out of Washington State, Carson Wentz is practicing and not rehabbing, and his group of weapons is absolutely loaded. DeSean Jackson (who routinely expands the fantasy ceilings of all of his non-Jameis Winston QBs), Jordan Howard, rookie 2nd round picks Miles Sanders and JJ Arcega-Whiteside join Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, Dallas Goedert, Darren Sproles and (finally healthy) Mack Hollins. That’s... a lot. He’s my QB5 and he’s going as the QB9. I’m not the only guy who’s high on him this season. ESPN’s Louis Riddick, who is WAYYYYYY smarter than I am, has Wentz winning the MVP this season. He’s pretty darn good at predicting this type of stuff...

Cam Newton CAR: Despite dealing with a shoulder injury for much of the season (which is illuminated fully in Amazon’s ‘All or Nothing’ show), Cam Newton averaged 20.2 fantasy points per game, 8th among QBs. This Norv Turner offense and personnel around him (Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore, Curtis Samuel, Greg Olsen, Ian Thomas) is geared around Newton getting the ball out of his hands quickly and closer to the line of scrimmage, which he will only be more familiar with now in his second year under the system. It worked: he set a career-high 67.9% completion percentage last season. His previous best was 61.7%. He got his throwing shoulder operated on this offseason (and looks more than fine now, by the way). If you’re worried about his rushing going away, he got that same shoulder operated on before the 2017 season. He ran for a career-best 754 yards on 139 carries for 6TDs. His rushing shouldn’t be drastically diminished; ESPN’s Mike Clay has him projected for 105 carries. If the rushing isn’t going away, he should smash his ADP on ESPN as QB8. He’s my QB6. 

Jared Goff LAR: On a per-game basis in games where Cooper Kupp played, Goff would’ve finished as QB3. If you just exclude last year’s stinker against the Bears, Goff would’ve finished as tied for QB4 with Deshaun Watson and, oddly enough, Ryan Fitzpatrick. Kupp is back. Sean McVay is still calling plays for the Rams despite the constant turnover around the Rams’ coaching staff trying to find the next McVay. Heck, Goff could even possibly throw for more touchdowns if they want to limit Todd Gurley’s production around the goal line. Goff’s ADP on ESPN is QB15 and QB12 on Sleeper. He is my QB7.

Lamar Jackson BAL and Josh Allen BUF: The rationale here for these two are very similar: they are run-centric quarterbacks whose teams upgraded their receiver core for them. Baltimore overhauled theirs through the draft, adding Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown and Miles Boykin, while Buffalo added veterans John Brown and Cole Beasley. While neither are great throwers just yet, their rushing elevates their floors and ceilings on a weekly basis. Since Lamar Jackson snatched the starting gig from Joe Flacco’s corpse, he averaged 18.6 fantasy points per game, placing him 13th among QBs. He never dipped below 15.9 points, though only exceeded the 20 point plateau just twice. In the 10 games Josh Allen started and finished as a rookie, he averaged 19.71 fantasy points per game, which would’ve been 9th among all QBs. After his Week 12 bye? He was QB1. Though it’d be fair to suggest neither two will run as much as they did as rookies, it’d be foolish to suggest that aspect of their games will be ditched altogether and that they should see a boost as passers. If you ditch the position (as you should), you could do a lot worse than either of these two as your starter and search the waiver wire if they don’t pan out.

RBs: 

Dalvin Cook MIN: Dalvin Cook has all the tools to be a Top 5 running back. So far, his biggest impediments towards getting to that platform have been factors outside of his control: injuries and porous offensive line play. Before he tore his ACL Week 4 of the 2017 season, Cook was on pace for a 296 carry, 1,416 rushing yards and 8 touchdown season, to go along with 44 receptions on 64 targets and 360 receiving yards. That was Cook’s pace despite his offensive line being ranked 22nd by Pro Football Focus. Last season was not much better for the Vikings offensive line, as they fell back to 29 by Pro Football Focus. 

On top of that, Cook never seemed to gain his footing coming off the ACL tear, bouncing in and out of the lineup with a nagging hamstring strain for much of the season. However, starting from Week 9 once he returned from his hamstring injury, he went on to average 13.62 half PPR points, which, if extrapolated over 16 games, would’ve gotten him an 11th place finish amongst running backs. This was done despite going for a game where he finished with 0.5 points, a poor offensive line, and limited usage, at least until Week 14.

After Week 14, the Vikings fired Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo, whom they hired in the 2018 offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles after previously serving as their Quarterbacks coach. In this article from NumberFire, it is illuminated the disparity from the pass-happy offense DeFilipoo tried to install vs new offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski’s run-oriented offense. Essentially, in order to play to the strength of their stout defense, the Vikings ran more, passed less and called fewer plays, in general, churning the clock. That is the game plan Head Coach has yearned and desired for time and time again. How can you do that with personnel? Improve your offensive line, which they did in the draft (the Vikings drafted NC State C Garrett Bradbury and Oklahoma OG Dru Samia) and free agency (the Vikings signed OG Josh Kline). How can you do that philosophically? Hire an OC who will run the ball and bring in Gary Kubiak as an advisor. 

Everything is set up for a Dalvin Cook breakout season, as long as he stays healthy. That’s quite the if, but the same can be said for almost any running back being drafted early. However, that risk is already being put into his ADP, which is 23.9 on ESPN and 16.2 on Sleeper. I have him 12th overall. He is the ultimate second-round pick for those drafting wide receivers round one. Don’t let him fall. 

Aaron Jones GB: The upside is pretty simple to see with Aaron Jones. Before he got injured in Week 15 in a lost 2018 Packer season, he was averaging 14.3 half PPR points per game, which would’ve been 11th among all running backs. Among those qualified, he led the entire NFL in yards per carry (5.5). Though he did not rack up enough carries to qualify in 2017 battling the depth chart and injuries, he averaged 5.5 yards per carry that season too, which was only bested by some guy named Alvin Kamara. Surely you’ve heard of him. 

All of that was done despite the Packers ranking 32nd (333 carries) and 27th (386 carries) in Jones’ two seasons with Mike McCarthy at the helm. That surely will change this season, as new head coach Matt LaFleur has repeatedly stressed his desire to bring more balance to the offense. His tendencies with Tennessee last season, though with a notably different pass game personnel, tend to back that up. LaFleur also wants to get the running backs involved in the passing game as well, a staple in his previous stops around the league. This is an opportunity that has eluded Jones before (in 24 games he has only been targeted 53 times and has 35 receptions and just one touchdown), but he has worked to improve on his receiving prowess and is proving in camp. As for his competition (another thorn in Jones’ side), Jones seems to have solidified his spot as the top dog. Writer for Packers.com Mike Spofford seems to think so at least, noting: ‘confirming his status as the top back on the team right now, the coaches have consistently given Jones first reps in 11-on-11 work throughout OTAs and the opening days of camp’ (link to the full article above). To add to that, backup and fellow 2017 running back draftee Jamaal Williams tweaked his hamstring during camp, giving Jones even more of a leg up for workhorse duties. 

Everything is lining up for Aaron Jones. As long as he can stay healthy (and he shed body fat to help him do so), it is not out of reason at all to think he can be a top 10 running back. His ceiling is that of a second-round pick that I routinely scoop up in the third or fourth round. I would encourage you all to do the same.

Latavius Murray NOLA: Mark Ingram had 138 carries and 21 receptions in 12 games last season. The year prior: 230 carries and 58 receptions. Sure Alvin Kamara will reign supreme in New Orleans, but it sounds like he won’t get *all* the work Ingram has left behind. Latavius Murray will have a role. Will he get the 230 carries Ingram got in Kamara’s rookie year? Probably not. But could it be 184, which would’ve been Ingram’s 16 game pace from last season? That absolutely seems more plausible. He’s going to have a role in a very good offense and has immense upside in the event Alvin Kamara were to go down (which hopefully will never happen). 

Rashaad Penny SEA and Royce Freeman DEN: The thinking is the same for both of these two running backs. Freeman and Phillip Lindsay will reportedly form a 50-50 split in the Denver backfield, while Rashaad Penny saw Mike Davis leave the Seattle with no established back to replace him. Mike Davis was a flex player in his own right (he finished as RB37 in Half PPR), and Seattle had at least two running backs, (Davis, Penny or workhorse) Chris Carson, finish with over double-digit fantasy points five times last year. Basically: both Freeman and Penny are going to get run this season, whether as a starter or not. Combine that with the fragility of Chris Carson and the diminutive stature of Phillip Lindsay, the upside for these two in the event of an injury is through the roof.

Damien Harris NE: New England will be a run-heavy team this season, as they were last season. Harris may not get a lot of work early, but he was drafted as insurance in case Sony Michel gets injured again. And in the event that occurs, Harris will step in as the primary rusher while James White stays in his receiving role. Even without the injury, it seems possible Harris will play given his versatility as both a runner and receiver out the backfield. Essentially, he is Darrell Henderson without the hype or the higher draft price. I think he could earn a role and don’t believe Sony Michel can/will stay healthy. If neither happens, you cut him as a late-round draft pick. If both happen, he’s a league winner.

Malcolm Brown LAR: Darrell Henderson is not the Rams’ backup running back. No, he is slated for more of a Chris Thompson-type of role in Sean McVay’s offense. While valuable in its own right, Henderson is a bit undersized for lead back duties and is just a rookie in the first year of McVay’s extravagant offense. A guy who has been there since McVay arrived in Los Angeles? Malcolm Brown. Brown is a great pass protector who has the trust of McVay to keep Jared Goff upright and execute the offense as constructed. Malcolm Brown may end up being the Jamaal Williams to Henderson’s Aaron Jones in the event of a Gurley injury, but coaches don’t care about who has the most talent to solely feed them. You have to earn playing time by doing the little things, and Brown is ahead of Henderson in that regard, especially if Henderson’s extended preseason run is any indication. I suspect Brown will get action in the Rams backfield, Gurley injury or not. Even if Gurley plays, Gurley’s touches will almost surely go down, especially if the Rams are trouncing opponents. Gurley had 66 carries while the Rams were leading by double digits. Think the Rams want to give him unnecessary touches? I don’t. Who could get some of that? Malcolm Brown. The best part about Malcolm Brown? He is dirt free. And he shouldn’t be. Remember when CJ Anderson dominated once the Rams scooped him up later in the year? That only happened *after* Brown injured his collarbone. If that were Brown himself doing what Anderson did in his/Gurley’s stead, which included three consecutive games with at least 123 rushing yards and a touchdown, how would we view him? At the very least, more receptively than how most are viewing him now. Brown is the ultimate double-digit round dart throw. He may even be on your waiver wire. Add him now. He has legit league-winning upside and literally costs you nothing to nab. He went undrafted in both of my leagues. I added him in both.

Dare Ogunbowale TB: Who? We are getting DEEP for my My Guys. Ogunbowale is a former Wisconsin running back who has bounced around the league before settling in Tampa Bay last season. However, he is more than just fighting for a roster spot; he’s gunning for legit playing time. He is the frontrunner to be the third-down back for the Bucs, a team with a porous offensive line that was 4th in the NFL in pass attempts last season BEFORE adding Bruce Arians as a head coach, who is notorious for getting running backs involved in the passing game. He is earning that role because he has soft hands (he had 60 receptions in two seasons at Wisconsin; neither Peyton Barber nor Ronald Jones has more than that in their college and professional careers COMBINED) and is trusted in pass protection (here is with a key block to buy time for a touchdown). He’s not ‘just a guy’ with the ball in his hands either; he is 5th in the preseason in forced missed tackles. The man is dirt cheap. He’s got skills, fits the team he currently plays for and has played himself into a role. I’m not saying he’s going to be this year’s Phillip Lindsay, but signs are there for Arike Ogunbowale’s brother to be a factor for both the Buccaneers and your fantasy team.

WRs: 

Davante Adams GB: This is a matter of semantics. No one should dispute whether Adams will be great in fantasy barring injury, but just a matter of how high he should be drafted. He has scored double-digit touchdowns in each of the last three seasons, which is not unusual for the number one receivers under Aaron Rodgers to break regression numbers. He finally racked up 1000+ receiving yards, mowing through a murderer’s row of corners in the process. I love DeAndre Hopkins and Julio Jones, but I trust Adams more as the wide receiver. Who knows, maybe he could end up doing *even more* this season.

Julian Edelman NE: With the trained polar bear turned tight end Rob Gronkowski gone to retirement, someone has to catch passes in New England. This is where slot stud and Tom Brady bro Julian Edelman comes in. He becomes even more of a target fiend in games where Gronk hasn’t played, as NFL.com’s Graham Barfield illuminates here. His 16 game piece using his averages without Gronk: 182 targets, 116.8 receptions, 1,360 yards 5.12TDs. Remember how I talked about Davante Adams a minute ago? Here are his stats last season: 169 targets, 111 receptions, 1,386 yards 13TDs. Pretty, pretty, pretty good if you ask me. Now, Edelman did break his thumb before training camp and will be out for about 3 weeks in the preseason, but that could end up being a blessing in disguise for fantasy players so Edelman doesn’t suffer a more serious injury (obviously a concern with Edelman) and his buzz will be muted a bit. His ADP on ESPN is 34.3. On Sleeper? 45.1. He is my 21st player overall. Anywhere from the 3rd round and beyond is stealing if you can snag Edelman there, even with the news of Josh Gordon being reinstated. Heck, that might help you snag him a little later.

Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, and Cooper Kupp LAR: If I had any apprehension of these three, it would be Kupp coming off a torn ACL, but he’s been fully cleared for camp activities. Basically, if you’re worried that these three will all eat into each other’s production enough to not warrant them as starters, don’t be. Kupp averaged 14.4 half PPR points per game last season, and one of those games he only scored 1.2 points before getting hurt. In the 8 games where Kupp played, Woods averaged 14.9 points per game and Cooks averaged 16.3, though he left a game vs the Seahawks early before hauling in a catch. I personally rank them Woods/Cooks/Kupp because I feel Woods is the most consistent and would not take Kupp as early as I would the other two because of him returning from an ACL injury (though he reportedly is cleared for all activities and isn’t even wearing a knee brace), but the point is, all are great fantasy options that could be had in rounds 4-5. I wouldn’t even sweat taking two of the three. All they do is produce.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling GB: ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported in June that MVS was the leader for the number 2 receiver spot beside Davante Adams on the outside. That all but was confirmed when fellow cheesehead receiver Geronimo Allison told him that he’d be the team’s slot receiver. Why is this important? Because the new head coach is not like fellow head bro Sean McVay. McVay ran 11 personnel (meaning 3 receivers, 1 running back and 1 tight end) a lot, while Kyle Shanahan… didn’t.  In LaFleur’s lone season at Tennessee as the offensive coordinator, he was 28th in the league in using 3+ wide receivers on the field at the same time. Now, will Geronimo still get his? Absolutely. But if MVS will be on the field more, I’d rather take my shot on a second Packer receiver on him. It also doesn’t hurt when Aaron Rodgers’ trust level in MVS seemingly beginning to grow.

Albert Wilson MIA: Albert Wilson is slated to be the Dolphins’ slot receiver. He is good at it. Ryan Fitzpatrick is slated to be the Dolphins’ starting QB. He likes throwing to the slot. Starting to sense a theme? Now, Wilson suffered a season-ending hip injury last season but was on pace for a breakout season. In games Wilson started and finished, he was averaging 13.11 fantasy points per game in half PPR formats. Take out his ginormous game against the Bears and that number falls to 9.74 points per game, which would’ve been the WR34 on a per-game basis last year. Oh, and that was with Adam Gase and his slowpoke offense that was around the bottom of the league and offensive plays ran. New offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea should run a more up-tempo scheme that could feature the slot even more if his time in New England is any indication. Wilson hasn’t done much practicing yet and reports suggest he is close to returning to team drills with the goal of playing Week 1 becoming more and more possible with each passing day. Maybe more people will pay attention to Wilson if he gets back to practice. Take advantage of people sleeping on him while you can.

TEs: 

Evan Engram NYG: Evan Engram has, conveniently enough, played 16 games without Odell Beckham Jr. His numbers in those 16 games? 117 targets, 71 receptions 886 yards 6TDs. That would’ve been good for TE5 last season. Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t on the Giants any more thanks to the grand work of Dave Gettleman. Sterling Shepard broke his hand in training camp. Golden Tate is suspended for the first four games. I don’t normally take tight ends in the single-digit rounds because it is harder for them to return the value than a running back or wide receiver. Engram looks to be the lone exception in rounds 5-7. 

Greg Olsen CAR: He’s going super late. He’s basically free. IF, and that’s been a big if recently, he can stay healthy, what all has changed regarding his role and status among Carolina’s pass-catchers? Not a lot.

Mark Andrews BAL: If you want this season’s George Kittle, I nominate Mark Andrews for that distinction. From Andrews’ player profile on ESPN: ‘Andrews' 552 receiving yards rank sixth, and his 16.2 YPR, 10.0 YPT, and 10.4 aDOT all rank second among rookie tight ends since 2007. Andrews did all that damage despite playing only 35 percent of the snaps.’ He and fellow Lamar Jackson have grown their chemistry in camp, where Andrews has ‘been the Ravens’ most dangerous and productive offensive player,’ according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. If you’re going to punt the tight end position, why not take a flier on a guy oozing with upside like Andrews, on a team with 278 targets to replace from last season?

Darren Waller OAK: Speaking of targets to replace, Oakland will have plenty to replace. Although most of them surely will go to Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams (and Josh Jacobs), some should go to Darren Waller as well, a former Ravens draft pick who seems to have finally found a home in Oakland. Jared Cook made the Pro Bowl last year in Oakland after a 101 target, 68 reception, 896 yard and 6TD season. I’m not saying Waller will do that, but he’ll be given every chance to at least try. Especially now after this ongoing Antonio Brown frostbite/helmet fiasco. If Brown were to miss any time whatsoever, Waller will only get a boost in the target share in Oakland.

[yahoo-roto-arcade-blog]

Fantasy Football Booms/Busts 2018: The Minnesota Vikings

After a nasty knee injury that prematurely derailed his rookie season, Dalvin Cooks is looking to storm back with a vengeance in fantasy and reality. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

As the mercury rises and we inch closer to the open of training camps, our resident fantasy football sickos, Brad Evans and Liz Loza, will profile their favorite booms/busts of every NFL team. Today’s topic: The Skol Squad.

Minnesota features a wealth of quality fantasy talent. Using ADP as a guide, which sure-handed Viking profits most handsomely this season: Adam Thielen (29.3, WR12), Stefon Diggs (35.2, WR14) or Kyle Rudolph (87.4, TE8)?

Brad – STEFON DIGGS. When faced with gridlock, Diggs is a darting motorcycle who always finds creases to catch and accelerate through. He’s arguably the game’s finest in-traffic receiver, a player who ranked No. 1 in catch rate (64.6%) and No. 1 in WR rating (145.2) on contested catches last season. He’s undaunted, very dependable and is sure to be a favorite target of Kirk Cousins.

Recall last year in Washington, Cousins didn’t have the luxury of a player with Diggs’ skill set, yet he still completed 63.9 percent of his attempts on over-the-middle passes between 0-15 yards. As Sharp Football Stats tracks, the wideout’s glowing success rates on intermediate and outside the number throws suggest he’ll blend beautifully with Cousins’ strengths.

Diggs finished No. 12 in fantasy points per game in 2017. If he stays healthy and he strikes an instant chemistry with Cousins, a career year is on the docket. Final numbers around 80-1050-9 are reachable.

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Liz – KYLE RUDOLPH. There’s no denying the studliness of Minny’s top-two receivers. As such, I have the duo ranked within my top-15 WRs. But with Diggs’ ADP at 38.63 (WR12) and Thielen’s close behind at 45.12 (WR15), they’re both being drafted at peak value. Assuming Dalvin Cook stays healthy, Thielen’s volume and Diggs’ red zone looks will take a hit, making it harder for them to ROI.

Rudolph, on the other hand, isn’t coming off draft boards until the eighth round. A top-six fantasy producer in back-to-back seasons, the Notre Dame alum hasn’t missed a game since 2014. He did undergo ankle surgery in February, but his recovery is reportedly ahead of schedule and he’s already building chemistry with Kirk Cousins. Given John DeFilippo’s penchant for featuring TEs (Remember Gary Barnidge’s 79-1,043-9 season back in 2015? DeFilippo was the Browns’ offensive coordinator that year), Rudolph remains a top-end option at an inconsistent position.

Dalvin Cook (14.5 ADP, RB10), who certainly looked the RB1 part prior to season-ending knee surgery in his inaugural season, is going primarily in the early-to-mid second round in all formats. Play bookmaker, what are the odds the sophomore rusher finishes OUTSIDE the RB top-15 in total fantasy production (.5 PPR) this fall?

Liz – 75-to-1: Back at practice as of early June and taking reps as both an RB and WR, Cook is on schedule to be 100 percent by training camp. Obviously, running back is a volatile position and set-backs can occur, but at just 22-years-old the second-round selection has time on his side. That’s ultimately what he needs… since his talent is unquestionable.

While the sample size was small, what Cook did last year was impressive. Averaging 18.5 carries and 4 targets per game, the former Seminole managed two 100+ yard outings and two scores… and that was over just four games! Demonstrating excellent vision and the power to shake would-be tacklers, Cooks has the burst and balance to weave through traffic for major gains.

As for Latavius? Come on. Dude tallied 16 touches while Cook was on the field (and half of that total came in Week 4 after Cook was sidelined). He’s an inefficient insurance policy, who will probably vulture the second-year back just enough times to provoke #draftwitter into reacting with a Judge Judy meme.

On pace for over 1,700 scrimmage yards last year, Cooks is one of this year’s top breakout candidates. He can easily close out 2018 with over 1,100 rushing yards and 8 rushing scores. That’s top-ten FF territory.

Brad – 45-to-1, or roughly the same odds IHOP’s transition to IHOB will actually prove successful. It’s not like their pancakes are anything special, unless you’re inebriated at 2 AM.

Before the injury imp snacked on his knee, Cook was on pace to deliver on the hype, and then some. In four contests, he netted 69.2 percent of the opportunity share, averaged 111.0 total yards per game, scored twice and, most spectacularly, forced 5.2 missed tackles per game, a number nearly identical to Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott. Extrapolate his accumulated production over a full season and you’re talking 1,776 combined yards and eight touchdowns, a tally that would’ve ranked between Mark Ingram (RB6) and LeSean McCoy (RB8). Earning reps in OTAs, he is on schedule to open camp without any hindrances.

Latavius Murray is a minor threat to steal goal-line work, but a healthy Cook should secure two-thirds of the workload in an offense sure to tax defenses. Behind an offensive line that ranked No. 10 in power run blocking last year according to Football Outsiders, the second-year back is one of the safer bets and the perfect come-back investment for an owner who chooses Antonio Brown, DeAndre Hopkins or Odell Beckham in Round 1.

Despite Washington’s persistent injuries on the offensive line and in its receiving corps, Kirk Cousins still managed to finish inside the QB top-10 last season. Donning the purple this season, OVER or UNDER 31.5 passing touchdowns for the well-paid passer?

Brad – SLIGHTLY OVER. What Cousins accomplished in unfavorable conditions last season was rather remarkable. Washington’s offensive line, at one point down all five original starters, was tattered and torn for most of the year, which placed the signal caller under duress 36.6 percent of the time (QB9). Snowballing matters, Terrelle Pryor, thanks to the curse I placed on him, and Jordan Reed greatly under-performed primarily due to significant injuries. Despite the setbacks and his horrid completion percentages, Cousins weathered the tempest finishing QB4 in total fantasy points.

With OC John DeFillipo determined to fix Cousins’ red-zone woes and blessed with a trio of reliable receivers (Thielen catch% in ’17: 63.6; Diggs: 67.4; Rudolph: 70.4), he’s a solid wager to finish with 32 or more passing TDs.

Liz – OVER. Last year Cousins put a hobbled and clueless Redskins team on his back and passed for 4,093 yards and scored 31 touchdowns. A top-ten fantasy producer for three consecutive years and top-five option in back-to-back seasons, let’s finally give the man some credit.

Going from a bottom-ranked offensive line to a top-six pass-protecting unit, the Chicago-area native will finally have some room to operate. He also gets an upgrade in talent and a playoff-caliber backfield. Plus, QB wizard John DeFilipo, who plans to focus on Cousin’s efficacy in the red zone, will be calling the plays (Carson Wentz passed for 33 TDs in 13 games).

I understand an improved defense means the eighty-four-million-dollar-man isn’t likely to be playing from behind as often, but duels with Aaron Rodgers and Matt Stafford twice a year certainly offer shoot-out appeal. Welcome (back) to the Midwest, Captain Kirk!

Bring the blitz on Twitter. Follow Brad (@YahooNoise) and Liz (@LizLoza_FF).

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Five Questions facing Vikings vs. Packers

Despite injury questions, a strange, inconsistent offense and a division loss, the Vikings are in position to move into first place if they beat the Packers at home on Sunday. Obviously, any time you play Aaron Rodgers it is not an easy win. But the Vikings’ defense is at a level that it has not been in some time and now may be the best opportunity to show the NFC North that they are here to stay.

That being said, here are some burning questions Minnesota has to answer as they welcome Green Bay to U.S. Bank Stadium.

Is Jerick McKinnon now the Vikings’ whole running game?

It has been well-documented how little Latavius Murray has contributed in 2017 despite being by far the highest-paid back on the roster. In his stead, McKinnon contributed well on Monday night with 146 yards from scrimmage, including a 58-yard touchdown run.

At the time of this writing, the Vikings have not brought in anybody else to supplement McKinnon and Murray so one would assume McKinnon will be the guy on Sunday. While he played well in week five, having him as the primary back is not the most desirable situation given they are likely starting Case Keenum against Aaron Rodgers and the first-place Packers.

How do the receivers respond to their least-productive game of the season?

Despite the Vikings debut of Michael Floyd on Monday, Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen had their worst game of the season against the Bears Monday night. Of course, there were extenuating circumstances, namely Diggs’ groin injury and Sam Bradford’s knee leading to an anemic passing game in the first half. But given these two have established themselves as stars, there is an expectation that they will have a big bounce-back game on Sunday.

The stability of Case Keenum starting and finishing will help and both receivers have a nice rapport with him. Plus, with a second full week of Michael Floyd in practice, one would assume Pat Shumur concocts more ways to get him involved in the gameplan.

Can the pass rush keep Aaron Rodgers inside the pocket? 

Minnesota has played some good offensive lines so far and have still found the quarterback a decent amount. Everson Griffen obviously has stood out but Danielle Hunter is finally looking like the emerging star fans saw in 2016.

The Packers unit is a solid one when healthy but they have been far from healthy all year. As a result, Rodgers has had to extend a lot of plays with his legs. Even so, he is tied for the most-sacked quarterback in the league.

Against Dallas last week, however, when it counted Rodgers was able to make pass-rushers miss and make the incredible play despite constant pressure. Minnesota has to find a way to not only get pressure on Rodgers but also keep him in the pocket. It is when he gets out on the edge that he is able to make that play that completely swings the momentum of a game.

Will the secondary hold up to Rodgers’ improvisation?

Speaking of when Rodgers gets outside the pocket, a big reason why Rodgers is able to make these plays is because he keeps his eyes downfield. He scans the whole situation and finds defensive backs who have their eyes on him instead of on the receiver and puts the ball in a place where his guy can pick up huge yardage.

Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes have been excellent in initial pass coverage this season but they have yet to take on a real improviser. Well, they played one in Ben Roethlisberger week two but Roethlisberger clearly has not been himself this year. Rodgers will be their first real test in staying honest when a play breaks down.

Assuming Rhodes shadows Jordy Nelson on Sunday, he has to be especially wary of the downfield throw on a broken play. Harrison Smith and Andrew Sendejo also have to keep honest in their deep coverage because Rodgers has no problem throwing deep 50-50 balls in these situations.

Who is the quarterback come week 10?

This question is not so much about this game specifically so much as the blurring quarterback situation in general. With Sam Bradford exiting early on Monday night, and one analyst going so far as to suspect he has arthritis in his knee, it is seeming less and less likely that Bradford will ever be healthy enough to start a game this year. And given that Teddy Bridgewater is already being evaluated for a return, it seems almost a guarantee that he will be the healthier quarterback of the two in a few weeks.

Case Keenum has held down the fort well and will probably start the next handful of weeks but one would assume Mike Zimmer wants a long-term starter taking snaps for the stretch run. We will analyze this situation further as Bridgewater’s return nears but for now, it is a big question on the minds of Viking fans.

–Sam Smith is the Managing Editor for cover32/Vikings. Like and Follow @samc_smith Follow @cover32_MIN

AROUND COVER32 Is Rams OC Matt LaFleur a candidate to become the next Bears head coach?

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[3sportsguns]

The Fantasy Football Headset 2016; Wrapping the Season

BG - A bit late but it's time to wrap the season for both my Keeper and Dynasty Fantasy Football teams. In the two leagues I covered both ends of the spectrum taking home a back-to-back Keeper championship and finishing second to last in the Dynasty League. In both leagues I made a trade before the playoffs and I already made a move to 'improve' my Dynasty roster for next season.

           Starting with the Dynasty League, since finishing near the bottom isn't normally a thing for me. I was able to take advantage of a team making a playoff push to improve my team. Running back was a position that was thin across the league and, with my team sitting near the bottom, I was looking to move LeGarrette Blount for a long term piece. A friend of mine in the league had Travis Kelce and Jimmy Graham and was looking for a RB boost heading into the playoffs. I was able to swap Blount for Graham and lock up my TE position. Graham was the number four scoring TE and I have him paired with Cameron Brate, the number eight scoring TE, going forward. Blount was going to be a decision for me when it came to trimming the roster so I was happy to make a move and lock up the position.

           If you followed up the Fantasy Football Headset you would know my WR position was something I felt very confident about but ended up being a big let down for me. I drafted Keenan Allen, Kelvin Benjamin, Sterling Sheppard and Allen Robinson. Allen went down in game one and Benjamin and Robinson were big busts this season. At the end of the season I had also added, Tyreek Hill (our league rewards returning points), Tyler Boyd, Marqise Lee and Malcom Mitchell. Mitchell and Lee I'm not sure when it comes to roster cuts but the rest were players to hang on to and plenty of depth to made a move.

           I drafted the top four (we start three WR and Flex) with the potential hope of making a move, especially after my RB position ended up so thin. Luckily, I was able to pair up with my dad, who finished last, to take Mark Ingram off his hands. He finished as the eighth highest scoring RB but was really up and down at the end of the season with Tim Hightower taking carries. We swapped Ingram for Benjamin and I felt like it was a win for me. Out of my three studs I felt most confident that Benjamin was number three on that list and I got a potentially top 10 RB that could really give my team a shot in the arm.

           Ingram now leads my running back position that also has Dion Lewis, C. J. Anderson, Duke Johnson and Theo Riddick. It is an ugly position, even in PPR, so I was happy to be able to get the Saints RB to boost the position. And with the number two overall pick I'll be looking at rookies like Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey to pair with Ingram as my two lead backs. Fingers crossed for a bounce back from Anderson and hopefully Riddick comes back to do his thing, but Lewis could very likely be cut after James White's Super Bowl performance and Johnson is nothing more than a bench piece at best right now.

           In Keeper League I made a pair of trades early in the season that helped carry my team (Blount for Stefon Diggs and Frank Gore for Larry Fitzgerald), but my two biggest additions were Jordan Howard and Matt Ryan. Ryan sat on the waiver wire for about half the season and someone gave up on Howard when the OC couldn't figure out to use him. The nice thing about the keeper league (we keep two) is that assets are easier to acquire heading into the playoffs and I flipped Isaiah Crowell and Tyreek Hill for Latavius Murray and Kyle Rudolph and all it cost me was a swap of 4th and 8th round picks with the guy that finished 5th in the league. I moved down four spots in those rounds for two players I started championship week.

           It was actually a tight league this season. We play 13 regular season weeks and had four people finish 5-8, two at 6-7 and two at 7-6. The team that finished second was 9-4 (and the points champ) and I finished 10-3. Even in the playoffs it was ugly with three of the four teams finishing with under 90 points. I had 88 and the 3 and 4 seeds scored 73 and 70 while the 2 seed dropped 155. Luckily, I got him in the championship round by the slim margin of 122-118, and that was going against Ezekiel Elliot.

           After the several keeper swapping last season I think it is quite evident we brought the league closer together so, while I'm pumped to get the championship, it definitely proves you need some luck as I was able to escape the rash of injuries that went around. Now we get ready for the draft and the decision on keepers and possibly some more swaps. And for Dynasty it is 100% about the draft with the league set to keep 15 players on their 20 man rosters. I'll be taking a look at players as the draft get ready and this summer we'll have a new rookie rankings as we get ready for the next season.

[junker-town]

How much did the Vikings offense really change?

Kevin Stefanski didn’t exactly re-write the playbook to smash Miami into pieces.

In Week 14, the Vikings scored just seven points against the Seahawks’ rebuilding defense, pushing Minnesota to its third loss in four games and necessitating the dismissal of rising star offensive coordinator John DeFilippo. In Week 15, quarterbacks-coach-turned-OC Kevin Stefanski helped propel Minnesota to its biggest offensive performance of the season in a 41-17 win over the Miami Dolphins.

So was DeFilippo really that big of a problem? Or is the Miami defense just really that bad?

It’s tough to tell after just one game against a mercurial opponent, but the answer looks like a little of column A and a little of column B. Stefanski utilized a roster filled with weapons to its fullest to rout the Dolphins in Week 15, but he didn’t exactly overhaul the team’s playbook to get there.

What does that mean for the Vikings? And, more importantly, what does that mean for their playoff hopes? Here’s what we learned in the new OC’s debut.

Stefanski exploited a bad rushing defense while exposing a new facet of the Vikings offense

Dalvin Cook had a couple of solid performances under DeFilippo, but the former coordinator kept his top tailback on a tight schedule in his first season after a torn ACL ended an electric rookie campaign. In 3.5 games in 2017, Cook averaged 18.5 carries, but that number fell to 10.9 in his former OC’s 13 games with the franchise.

Stefanski did not have similar doubts about his young running back. On Sunday, Cook earned 19 carries — three more than he’d ever had with DeFilippo — and took them 136 yards, scoring his first two touchdowns of the season in the process.

The Chef was cookin' in yesterday's 41-17 win. ‍ ‍ ‍ pic.twitter.com/HSxOQyZpi6

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 17, 2018

There are several extenuating circumstances about Cook’s explosion. The first is that it came against the Dolphins, who have allowed more rushing yards per game than anyone but the Cardinals and Raiders, and rank 26th in the league in opponent yards per carry. You’d have to go nine men deep on the Miami stat sheet to find a defensive lineman on the “total tackles” chart.

The second is that it came in a blowout that meant a steady diet of clock-churning runs. The Vikings had little incentive to throw the ball in a game where they led by double digits for the majority of the afternoon. But Cook also gave them a reason to be confident in their ground game after an impressive first half.

He had five carries for 61 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter alone, easily his most productive opening frame of 2018. But the way Stefanski used him while this game was still competitive — in the first quarter and after the Dolphins cut the Minnesota lead to 21-17 in the third quarter — suggests the budding OC knew what Miami was going to expect, then did the opposite.

Cook’s blazing speed makes him a dangerous runner near the sideline, leaving the Dolphins forced to fortify the edges in response to the young back. Instead of playing into Miami’s preparation, Stefanski softened the ‘Phins up with a series of inside runs — four of Cook’s six carries came between his guards. It worked; he gained 25 yards on those carries.

More importantly, those successful runs on the inside consolidated the Miami defense, giving Cook and teammate Latavius Murray the extra room they needed to bounce big runs to the outside for major gains. Cook’s 13-yard touchdown in the first quarter is probably only a three- to four-yard gain if he doesn’t spring for 11 yards up the middle three plays earlier. It also helped set the stage for an 18-yard Murray touchdown off the left tackle one drive later.

In short, Stefanski took his star running back’s biggest strength and played to it, but not before making the Dolphins rethink their defensive strategy. DeFilippo struggled to recreate Cook’s 2017 magic outside the tackles; Stefanski rebuilt it by forcing Cook inside against a deficient defense and then turning on the burners once Miami thought it knew what to expect.

The Vikings didn’t need Kirk Cousins to do much, and he thrived while picking his spots

The biggest issue with the Minnesota offense under DeFilippo is that he was unable to unlock Cousins’ potential behind center. The Vikings got more conservative as the season wore on, limiting the quarterback to a series of short routes that reduced his back-breaking turnovers but also effectively took away the big plays that defined his highest highs in Washington.

The gunslinger hasn’t exactly turned to his deep-ball slinging ways, but he didn’t have to Sunday. Under DeFilippo, he threw 73 deep passes in 13 games, completing 42.5 percent of his throws. That made up 13.9 percent of his total passing output in Weeks 1-14.

With Stefanski calling the plays, Cousins threw three deep balls, completing all three. That made up 14.3 percent of his passes against the Dolphins, but they were set up by a steady diet of short plays. After averaging 7.2 air yards per pass in Weeks 1-14, Cousins’ passes traveled an average of 6.9 yards in the air against the Dolphins.

That doesn’t seem like an improvement, but considering the Vikings had this game well in hand for more than half its 60 minute running time, it suggests Stefanski may be more willing to allow his quarterback to launch the ball. And Minnesota’s track record in game one of its interim OC’s tenure suggests those deep passes will come after drawing defenses closer to the line of scrimmage with a combination of designed short-yardage plays like Cook runs and screens to players like Stefon Diggs and Aldrick Robinson.

That’s a sensible, if obvious, strategy that could work in the future, though the Dolphins’ deficient defense didn’t give Stefanski much of a challenge. His early success with the run set up a wide-open Diggs for the game’s first touchdown after seemingly every Miami defender on the field got fooled by a play-action fake to Murray:

Making it look easy early.#Skol pic.twitter.com/xMuGKyy3YP

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 16, 2018

Even when the Dolphins knew the pass was coming, like on this third-and-9 fourth quarter touchdown, the visitors were powerless to stop it.

Right on the money.@KirkCousins8 hits @AldrickRobinson for the dagger. pic.twitter.com/BLmnYo0uGk

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 16, 2018

That’s what Stefanski will be tasked with harnessing over the final two weeks of the regular season and into the playoffs. Cousins is a boom-or-bust quarterback with the capability to drop 50-yard throws into a basket downfield. Minnesota’s new offensive coordinator’s job is to develop the kind of offense that gets opposing safeties taking an extra step in the wrong direction to free up those big gains.

The Vikings skill players are on board with his new play caller

To the surprise of no one, Stefanski earned rave reviews from his players after engineering a 41-point explosion against the league’s 27th-ranked scoring defense. Even if, as players acknowledged, he didn’t have to change all that much about the team’s approach.

“He knows me well,” Cousins told the press after Stefanski’s promotion. “But at the same time, you don’t reinvent much this late in the year.”

“There were things we did a little bit differently this week that you could tell Kevin was waiting for his opportunity to do this,” tight end Kyle Rudolph said after the game. “I think he learned a lot of things last year from our offense and what Pat [Shurmur] did with this offense that we got back today.”

“Just give everybody a chance, and we’re going to make the plays.“#Vikings players delivered on their message to their new play-caller. More from my @nflnetwork postgame interview with Stefon Diggs: pic.twitter.com/WCJrI0lS1N

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 16, 2018

It makes sense the Vikings would want to take a step back in order to take a step forward. DeFilippo’s path from Browns’ failed offensive coordinator to a hot head-coaching prospect was predicated on his ability to get creative and glean the most from a young North Dakota State quarterback and Nick Foles as Philadelphia’s quarterbacks coach. When he was handed a ready-made offense in Minnesota, his affinity for out-of-the-box playcalling turned out to be a bug rather than a feature.

By simplifying things Sunday, Stefanski sent the message he believes in his loaded depth chart of skill position players.

Stefanski’s goal in Minnesota will be to replicate Shurmur’s top 10 offense, but with upgrades at tailback and quarterback. On Sunday, he looked at a big-armed quarterback, a running back who lit the league on fire in four pre-injury games as a 2017 rookie, and one of the league’s top receiving corps and decided he wouldn’t have to get too fancy to carve up a Dolphins defense that’s giving up 402 yards per game this fall.

It worked like a charm ... against Miami. Stefanski’s real test will be when he has to adjust his “so simple it’s genius” approach against a better Lions defense and then the Bears’ smothering top-three unit. If the former quarterbacks coach can find a way to hang 40 points on Khalil Mack and his crew, then it’ll be safe to say he’s an upgrade over the since-fired DeFilippo. The Vikings made a drastic move in order to save their season; so far it’s worked, but with the Dolphins in town, it’s tough to give Stefanski a passing grade just yet.

[junker-town]

Why the Giants are expected to give Pat Shurmur a second chance as an NFL head coach

The Vikings’ offensive coordinator is expected to be the next head coach of the Giants.

Pat Shurmur is just 10-23 as an NFL head coach. All but one of those games came with the Browns — where he won eight more games than current coach Hue Jackson has in the same amount of time.

The Giants are reportedly betting on the new NFL adage that the Browns don’t count. They’re expected to bring in the Vikings’ offensive coordinator to stand as New York’s newest head coach once Minnesota’s season is over.

But why Pat Shurmur?

Shurmur has spent the last nine years in the NFL as either an offensive coordinator or head coach, building a reputation as a quarterback guru in the process. He was the architect behind Nick Foles’ record-setting 2013 season with Philadelphia and Sam Bradford’s slow build in St. Louis, but his most impressive work has come over the past two seasons.

That’s when he helped Minnesota engineer a turnaround despite a couple of devastating injuries at quarterback. In 2016, Shurmur was promoted from Vikings tight ends coach to offensive coordinator in the middle of the season following Norv Turner’s resignation. That reunited Shurmur with Bradford to produce the best season of the passer’s career. While the Vikings fell to an 8-8 record, Bradford led the league in completion rate and set personal records in yards per pass and QB rating along the way.

As impressive as that performance was, Shurmur’s 2017 has been even better. With Teddy Bridgewater left rehabbing a traumatic knee injury for the second straight year and Bradford eventually landing on injured reserve with torn cartilage and a bone spur in his own knee, third-option passer Case Keenum stepped into the starting lineup and put together a surprising MVP candidacy behind an 11-3 record as a starter.

His work with Minnesota’s ground game was nearly as good. The Vikings lost impact rookie Dalvin Cook early in the season but actually upped their rushing output behind an effective Jerick McKinnon-Latavius Murray platoon. That proficiency, combined with a suffocating defense, pushed the club to the No. 2 seed in the 2018 playoffs.

While this renaissance has been vital for Shurmur’s head coach bonafides, there’s still room for concern. In his first four seasons as a coordinator or head coach — two as the Rams’ OC and two as the Browns’ head coach — he never ranked higher than 24th in terms of total yardage or points. He’s only coached in two playoff games in his career, one with the Eagles and the Vikings’ Divisional Round win over the Saints.

And though Keenum has been one of the league’s best quarterbacks this season, and his heroic Hail Mary to Stefon Diggs kept the Vikings’ playoff run alive in that victory over the Saints, Minnesota’s top-ranked defense has been a more important figure in the team’s run to the NFL’s upper crust.

What awaits Shurmur with the Giants?

Shurmur won't have to groom two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning in New York. Manning one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in NFL history, but the offense as a whole struggled last season under Ben McAdoo. New York's offensive line couldn’t protect Manning, and its rushing attack ranked 26th in the NFL.

Shurmur likes to run the ball to set up play-action and short passes, but he has to find a running back who can consistently take pressure off Manning. The Giants will also have to start thinking about life without Manning, who is 37 and will be entering his 15th NFL season. They have the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft and are widely projected to select a quarterback.

The Giants have talented receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall, who both suffered season-ending ankle injuries in 2017. Rookie tight end Evan Ingram and receiver Sterling Shepard showed flashes of being solid options in the pass game, too.

The superstar Beckham is excited about Shurmur coming on board:

God really works in mysterious ways....let the journey begin.... I’m geeeked https://t.co/3tbOTPcSl1

— Odell Beckham Jr (@OBJ_3) January 15, 2018

Stefon Diggs, at least, thinks Shurmur’s the right fit in New York.

“As a player, (Beckham) does a lot of things well, so it’s gonna be a fun offense for him to be in,” Diggs said, via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. “Because Pat knows how to get people the ball. He’s special. Good coach.”

The Giants' defense, on the other hand, was ranked 31st in 2017, regressing from a unit that finished with the 10th in the league in 2016. There are productive players on that side of the ball, but they also had issues in the locker room — three cornerbacks were given one-game suspensions, at different points, by the team this season. They can bounce back under the right leadership.

Shurmur and current interim head coach/former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo started their NFL careers together under Andy Reid in Philadelphia. Spagnuolo, who was the head coach in St. Louis at the time, hired Shurmur as offensive coordinator for the Rams in 2009. It’s possible he’ll keep Spagnuolo around for some continuity on defense.

But the defense will have to improve. Shurmur will also have to find a way to protect Manning and shore up the rushing attack for the Giants to bounce back this season.

[yahoo-roto-arcade-blog]

Week 7 fantasy wrap: Matt Ryan continues to disappoint

Matt Ryan disappoints again and a look around the rest of the league in Week 7 (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Falcons vs. Patriots: Facing a secondary that entered as the first team in NFL history to allow six straight 300-yard passing games, Matt Ryan threw for just 233 Sunday night, with a good chunk of that coming on the team’s final meaningless drive. Fog played a role in the second half, but last year’s MVP now has just seven touchdowns through six games. Some regression was bound to happen, but it’s clear Ryan is missing Kyle Shanahan (new OC Steve Sarkisian made some especially questionable calls, highlighted by an end around to Taylor Gabriel on fourth and goal from the one-yard line). At least the Falcons ended their scoreless streak at 90:30…This game had the highest over/under of the week (56 points), so naturally the final score was 23-7…Julio Jones finally scored for the first time this season, and it took a terrific effort by him to steal a badly underthrown ball by Ryan from the one-yard line…Mike Gillislee got a goal line carry, and Rex Burkhead returned, but Dion Lewis looks like New England’s lead back moving forward (at least until his next injury), making him well worth owning in all leagues.

Jaguars vs. Colts: Jacksonville’s defense continues to impress, recording 10 sacks Sunday. This unit is no joke…Blake Bortles had the most passing yards he’s had in a game this season before halftime…With Leonard Fournette inactive, Chris Ivory was a popular late addition to lineups, especially at a cheap price in DFS, but he disappointed despite scoring, losing a fumble, whiffing on a block that led to another and getting just 2.8 YPC in a dream matchup (while watching T.J. Yeldon run for 122 yards on nine carries). Fournette should be back after the Jaguars upcoming bye.

Ravens vs. Vikings: Where did that come from, Latavius Murray?…Joe Flacco was up against it on the road facing a tough defense without Jeremy Maclin and losing Mike Wallace early, but his TD pass on the last play of the game was his first in his last 137 attempts…Adam Thielen has had a nice yardage year, but he’s up to 65 targets without a score.

Jets vs. Dolphins: Miami scored its first offensive touchdown in the first half of a game this season, and the move from Jay Cutler to Matt Moore looks like an upgrade…The Jets have zero sacks from their defensive line this season…Jay Ajayi is up to 135 touches without a touchdown.

Buccaneers vs. Bills: Buffalo entered having allowed two passing touchdowns all season, so Jameis Winston naturally threw for three scores on the road, getting 8.7 YPA with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder…Tyrod Taylor might very well be a star if he were ever given even average weapons…Mike Tolbert nearly stole a goal-line TD, but LeSean McCoy finally hit paydirt for the first time this year (twice), totaling 122 yards in the process. His upcoming schedule looks highly favorable, but the window to buy low is now gone.

Panthers vs. Bears: Chicago won with Mitchell Trubisky completing as many passes (four) as sacks taken thanks to rookie Eddie Jackson becoming the first player in NFL history to record two defensive touchdowns that went for 75+ yards in the same game…The Bears targeted their wide receivers one time. Tanner Gentry hauled it in for eight yards…The Panthers had 20 first downs to the Bears’ five yet lost by two touchdowns…Carolina inexplicably punted down 17-3 with 3:44 left in the fourth quarter on 4th-and-12, as apparently they had little interest in attempting to win the game.

Saints vs. Packers: A week of first-team practice reps didn’t do Brett Hundley much good, as he managed just 3.5 YPA and looked completely lost for most of the day. A nice 14-yard TD run saved an otherwise disastrous fantasy game, but Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams owners have to be terrified right now…What’s the deal with Willie Snead?…I didn’t expect we’d be entering Week 8 with a healthy Michael Thomas still searching for his first 90-yard game of the season.

Cardinals vs. Rams: Adrian Peterson followed up last week’s huge game by rushing for just 21 yards on 11 carries against a Rams front seven that entered allowing the highest YPC in the NFL. Game script hurt him, but that’s likely going to remain a problem with Carson Palmer now essentially out for the season…Obviously, Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown also need to be downgraded significantly…It’s pretty crazy Sammy Watkins has fallen to the third most valuable receiver on his own team.

Browns vs. Titans: Marcus Mariota struggled mightily against a poor Cleveland secondary missing its best corner, getting just 6.0 YPA and failing to lead a single touchdown drive. He badly missed a wide open Delanie Walker in the end zone too…And to think I liked Eric Decker as a sneaky cheap DFS play…Joe Thomas missed the first snap of his career, ending an NFL record consecutive streak of 10,363…At least the Browns are finally playing their best quarterback.

Cowboys vs. 49ers: San Francisco entered 0-6 but had been outscored by just 33 points on the year. They lost by 30 Sunday in a game in which they were thoroughly dominated during C.J. Beathard’s first start of his career…Dak Prescott attempted just 25 passes yet threw for three scores and ran for another in a huge fantasy performance. He has a 14:2 TD:turnover ratio over the last four games…Ezekiel Elliott put up 219 YFS with three touchdowns, including this sick 72-yard catch and run (followed by an extra point kicked by a safety).

Bengals vs. Steelers: Le’Veon Bell was held out of the end zone, but he totaled 192 yards against a tough Bengals defense, highlighted by this play that featured a couple of stiff arms. Bell is on pace to finish with 2,053 yards from scrimmage this season…Martavis Bryant recorded one catch for three yards, although he did add another two yards on the ground…Pittsburgh executed a nice fake punt up 12 points to help seal the win in the fourth quarter…Joe Mixon’s arrow was pointing up, but he was bizarrely given just seven carries (gaining 48 yards on those attempts). It was especially puzzling given how strong the Steelers’ pass defense is compared to versus the run.

Seahawks vs. Giants: Jimmy Graham dropped a pass in the end zone and another one wide open that would have gone for at least 40 yards, but he still managed a late touchdown, as New York hasn’t allowed the most fantasy points to tight ends for nothing…Given the state of the rest of the Giants pass catchers, there’s a real chance Evan Engram leads tight ends in targets from here on out…This was a pretty crazy catch by Paul Richardson.

Broncos vs. Chargers: Trevor Siemian is either playing hurt, stalling in his development or most likely, a bit of both, as the Broncos were shut out for the first time since 1992 in an ugly performance…After starting the season 0-4, the Chargers are suddenly right in the playoff picture…Joey Bosa has five sacks over the last four games…I liked Demaryius Thomas this week despite the matchup against Casey Hayward, as without Emmanuel Sanders I figured he’d be a target hog (and he was affordable in DFS). But he finished with just two catches for nine yards, with an 81-yard gain called back thanks to his own PI penalty. DT hasn’t had a TD in 12 straight games now.

Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter. 

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Running Back Shuffle Up: Todd Gurley, back in business

Todd Gurley (left) and Ezekiel Elliott are both Top 5 centerpieces in 2017 (AP/Michael Ainsworth)

Week 5 is a key week on on the fantasy football calendar. The byes start, and with that, trading season starts. Some fantasy teams have quickly acquired leverage, some other teams are already dripping with desperation. You only get 13 games before playoff time in most leagues. Time to move on, time to get going.

Week 5 also marks the opening of the Shuffle Up series, where we’ll take a microscope to the current tiering landscape. I’ll do running backs, the granddaddy of all positions, this week. Next week, the wideouts go through the car wash. The following week, I’ll link quarterback and tight ends. And then the cycle begins again in Week 8.

Assume a half-point PPR scoring system, with everything else standard. Players at the same price are considered even. I reserve the right to tweak this list within the first 24 hours of release. I welcome all reasonable, respectful disagreement, but bring a reason. And remember the golden rule: no one gains or loses value simply because you roster (or don’t roster) that player.

Hit me up on @scott_pianowski, let’s hear what you have to say. Game on.

$45 Kareem Hunt $45 LeVeon Bell $43 Ezekiel Elliott $41 Todd Gurley $40 Devonta Freeman

It’s not hard to see why Gurley has rebounded so emphatically this year. The coaching staff was overhauled; the offensive line upgraded; the receiving threats bolstered. This offense didn’t have a chance under the Jeff Fisher regime, but it sure looks like Sean McVay was a home-run coaching hire. Gurley’s also getting extensive work in the passing game, too, which does two important things — it protects Gurley from negative game scripts, and it regularly allows Gurley to get the ball in space, take on a limited part of the defense, as opposed to the punishment-inducing work between the tackles.

That’s all lovely, and yes, keep it coming.

Some have feared that Gurley’s schedule will eventually turn sour and take down the story, but I’m not especially worried about that happening. Consider his next two opponents, Seattle and Jacksonville — they’ve both getting crushed by the run, allowing 5.0 and 5.7 YPC, respectively. The Giants respected defense has been leaky, too (4.6 YPC). There are some other draws that are challenging, but I’m going to bet on the talent, the creativity of the coaching staff, and the momentum. The places where I hold Gurley, I’d need a lofty price to move off the perch.

As for the other backs in the Fab 5: The only minor concern on Hunt is how the Chiefs have backed off him as a receiver in the last three weeks. Eight catches are fine, 59 yards are mediocre. After watching Hunt rip the Patriots with intermediate and deep routes in the opener, I thought Hunt would continue to get that type of usage. But he’s been so dynamic on the ground and the Chiefs are looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender, so we won’t hassle it . . . The Steelers have passing-game issues, specifically Ben Roethlisberger issues, but Bell’s started to come around after a predictable, slow start. You miss the entire summer, it comes at at least something of a conditioning cost. I’d have no problem taking Bell first or second in a redraft, depending on how sold you are on Hunt . . . The Dallas offensive line has slipped a notch and it’s possible Elliott, like Bell, wasn’t in top shape on opening day. But Zeke had a get-right game in the loss to the Rams, and while I’m not a lawyer, it sure looks like he’ll be able to hold off the legal proceedings for the rest of the year . . . Freeman was born in the end zone, or so it seems. New OC Steve Sarkisian talked about getting Julio Jones more involved in the red zone, but mostly what this offense has done through four weeks is feed the Freeman touchdown machine. Freeman’s YPC has taken a drop and he’s getting far less use in the passing game, but the touchdowns are a perfect deodorant.

$36 Leonard Fournette $35 LeSean McCoy $33 Carlos Hyde $30 Jay Ajayi $29 DeMarco Murray $26 Melvin Gordon $24 Jordan Howard $23 Lamar Miller $22 Christian McCaffrey $21 *Ty Montgomery $21 C.J. Anderson $21 Joe Mixon $20 Ameer Abdullah

I don’t see an obvious right answer on Montgomery. He doesn’t just have a rib injury, he has several broken ribs, and he plays a volume position where punishment is standard. I am not sorry I cashed out on my primary Montgomery share a week ago, though obviously I didn’t see him getting hurt. And keep in mind before the injury, Montgomery was all volume, no efficiency; oddly, the opposite of his 2016 story. The offensive line has a lot to say in that, but that isn’t something we can ignore when we price Monty . . . I’m staying firm with Ajayi, even as I don’t trust Jay Cutler much (can Matt Moore be any worse?). The Dolphins had the schedule from hell: hurricane PPD; trip to San Diego; trip to New York; trip to London. Ajayi ran hard in Week 2, and was okay in the Saints loss. He’s not the problem here, and the passing game should at least improve somewhat . . . Fournette is one of five backs who have 16 or more touches in four straight weeks; Abdullah, McCoy, Gurley, and Hunt are the others. Projectable volume is a huge part of the game. If we push the qualifier down to 15 touches, Hyde also makes the list.

Marshawn Lynch, gridlocked on Narrative Street (AP) 

$19 Tarik Cohen $18 Mark Ingram $18 Tevin Coleman $17 Duke Johnson $17 Doug Martin $17 Chris Thompson $16 Marshawn Lynch $16 Alvin Kamara $14 Latavius Murray $14 Isaiah Crowell $12 James White $12 Wendell Smallwood $12 Bilal Powell $11 Mike Gillislee $11 Derrick Henry $11 Frank Gore

Lynch grades just outside the Top 24, which makes sense — I haven’t considered him a set-and-forget RB2 all year, and I have him on every avoid list I submitted. Football’s hard enough without a full-year sabbatical, and remember he looked sluggish and cooked back with Seattle in 2015. I see no reason not to root for the guy, it’s a wonderful story, but I’ll root with my heart, not my fantasy checkbook . . . Washington is not comfortable giving Thompson an increase in workload, but he might see just enough volume to push into the every-week starter area, despite the uphill climb of his setup. At least Washington doesn’t have any other notable talent in the backfield; no one is likely to shove Thompson out of the way . . . If I knew Matt Forte would miss significant time, Powell would instantly climb a tier, though I also like what I’ve seen from Elijah McGuire. The Jets were everyone’s pick to be the worst team in football, but they have been scrappy and competitive in every game . . . Minnesota is sick over losing Dalvin Cook, but at least the offensive line is better. I’m betting on Murray over McKinnon because the Vikings paid Murray, but like so many teams, this will probably turn into a hot-hand situation, with the club hoping someone can prove it on the field and take away the decision stress. Murray is likely to start with the baton and he’s done more at the NFL level, so he gets the benefit on the initial rank.

$9 Alex Collins $9 Jonathan Stewart $9 D’Onta Foreman $8 LeGarrette Blount $8 Theo Riddick $8 Aaron Jones $7 Andre Ellington $6 Jerick McKinnon $6 Javorius Allen $6 Wayne Gallman $5 Robert Kelley $5 Matt Forte $5 Giovani Bernard $4 Jamaal Charles $4 Charcandrick West

Collins keeps busting off big runs in the second halves of games, though he needs to prove he can be trusted not to fumble (Jim Harbaugh has specifically complained about this, too). But at some point, the Ravens have to give extensive work to their only back who’s doing anything on the ground . . . Ellington has a passing role carved out on an offense that probably won’t be able to run the ball . . . I probably come in low among the Gallman rankers; I don’t trust that line (or Ben McAdoo) at all, there’s gridlock in the backfield, and the overall offense is probably a drain on any back’s efficiency. I thought Gallman looked okay at Tampa Bay; the rewatch didn’t jolt me out of my chair. I think the New York running game has been so awful for so long, perhaps some of us are tempted to overrate anything that’s even remotely positive . . . No one really likes Miller that much and Foreman had a couple of nifty plays in the New England game, but he’s still averaging 3.4 YPC. Is Foreman an interesting lottery ticket, sure. Is a changing of the guard imminent? Are the Texans eager to push Miller off the field? I don’t think so.

$3 Rex Burkhead $3 Jalen Richard $3 Thomas Rawls $3 Jacquizz Rodgers $3 C.J. Prosise $3 Eddie Lacy $3 Elijah McGuire $3 Jamaal Williams $2 Marlon Mack $2 Terrance West $2 Mike Tolbert $2 Chris Johnson $2 James Conner $2 Robert Turbin $1 DeAndre Washington $1 Chris Ivory $1 Matt Breida $1 Shane Vereen $1 Damien Williams $1 Orleans Darkwa $1 Malcolm Brown $1 Dion Lewis $1 Alfred Morris $1 Branden Oliver $1 Corey Grant $1 Charles Sims $1 Adrian Peterson $1 Corey Clement $1 J.D. McKissic $0 Paul Perkins $0 Kenyan Drake $0 Jeremy Hill $0 Samaje Perine $0 Aaron Ripkowski $0 Devontae Booker

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Breaking: Dalvin Cook Diagnosed with Torn ACL

Vikings rookie running back Dalvin Cook has been officially diagnosed with a torn ACL, an MRI confirmed Monday morning. He will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the 2017 season.

Cook injured his knee early in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions when, on a 10-yard run, he attempted to make a cut. Without any contact, Cook’s foot hit the turf awkwardly, causing his knee to cave in. He immediately reached for his knee while falling, fumbling the ball in the process. Though Cook was able to walk to the sideline mostly under his own power, it was with a heavy limp and he was clearly in immense pain. The emotion he showed on the sideline indicated that he knew his season was likely over.

Viking doctors diagnosed him as suffering a “near-complete tear” of his ACL, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported after the game. Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon split the rest of the carries in Cook’s absence.

With Minnesota now without arguably its best offensive weapon, it will be interesting to see how they look to fill the hole. They gave Murray a lot of money in the offseason theoretically with the idea he would factor into the running game. That has yet to be the case.

While unlikely, it is possible the Vikings trade to bring Adrian Peterson back into town; he has seen limited action in his first season with New Orleans and he has stated publicly he is unhappy with his role there.

If Minnesota is more interested in looking to free agency, the cupboard is fairly bare. But former Carolina Panther and Pittburgh Steeler DeAngelo Williams is available. He performed well for the Steelers in 2015 when Le’Veon Bell went down with a torn MCL midway through the season.

For now, the burden will likely be distributed between Murray and McKinnon. Receiver Michael Floyd returns today from his four-game suspension, so that should also add an element to the offense.

–Sam Smith is the Managing Editor for cover32/Vikings. Like and Follow @samc_smith Follow @cover32_MIN

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AROUND COVER32 ​ ​Why the Bears should keep OC Dowell Loggains, regardless of what happens this year

Packers RB Ty Montgomery has been under-appreciated ​​ Recapping the Vikings’ loss to the Lions​

Breaking down the hottest news around the NFL this week

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The Three Sides of Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch

Few free agents have an immediate effect as Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch. On the field, everyone knows what he brings to the table. Although, he’s only 215 pounds, Lynch brings a rare combination of quickness and thudding power. Yet, most casual fans know him for his personality. To describe him as one specific type is wrong. Lynch is many things to many people. RaiderNation is in for a treat over the next two seasons.

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AROUND COVER32

Injury Update: Panthers’ K, Gano medically cleared; ready to compete for job

Fantasy Football: What is Packers’ WR, Randall Cobb’s fantasy value in 2017

What’s Trending: Seahawks’ DE, Michael Bennett gets into “War of Words” with ESPN’s, Stephen A. Smith

Super Bowl LII: Taking a look at the odds of each team’s chances of winning Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis

Around the NFL: Bears’ RB, Jordan Howard snubbed from NFL’s Top 100 Players

The Teammate: During his stay in Seattle, many regarded Lynch as the perfect teammate. Granted, he’s a superstar, but never played that persona. With that said, he shows up to practice, works hard, which translates to games. While Pete Carroll and Jack del Rio seem polar opposites, one thing rings similar: they want to win. Slice this any way you wish, Lynch is the type of rusher coaches and teams dream of. Whether it’s picking up the blitz or reading the hole, he’s smart enough to anticipate.

The Competitor: In comparison, Latavius Murray is four inches taller and fifteen pounds heavier than Lynch. Yet, he runs the way you’d think Murray should. By the same token, Lynch grinds for every yard, doesn’t take shortcuts or veers out of bounds. Under those circumstances, the loss at Super Bowl 49 must still sting. With 26 seconds left, owning a timeout, Seattle OC Darrell Bevell chose to call a pass play, instead of letting Lynch try from the one. As a result, the ball gets picked and Seattle loses on one of the worst play calls ever. Fast forward to today. There is NO way on earth Jack Del Rio lets Todd Downing do anything but call a run there. After watching the Falcons choke away a 25-point lead, Lynch tweeted about their suspect playcalling. He wants the ball in short yardage.

Man About Town: Marshawn Lynch embodies the City of Oakland. From his demeanor to his approach to life, he’s all Oakland. Many outside of the city notice this. As a result, fans outside of the Bay Area notice. Not to mention, the great publicity he’s generated for his hometown. Not many athletes get to write the ending of their career in their hometown. Together with the two year farewell tour, the Raiders will contend for a Super Bowl.

In reality, the Raiders and Marshawn Lynch fit perfectly together. With this is mind, picture that first Lynch score. Count on a priceless reaction. Something similar to this.

The post The Three Sides of Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch appeared first on Cover32.

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2017 Raiders Free Agency Profile: WR Cordarrelle Patterson

Minnesota Vikings free agent WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson met with the Oakland Raiders Monday. However, Patterson  already visited with Washington and the Chicago Bears during this period. He has also hinted that he wants to stay with the Vikings, per ESPN.com. Clearly, Patterson is an emerging target. Therefore, the Raiders should just sign Patterson already. (Editor’s Note: They did. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Patterson signed a two-year deal)

First, the Raiders have needed a consistently effective returner since Jacoby Ford  left the roster years ago. Patterson is a two-time career All-Pro returner. He averages 30.4 yards per return over his career, with five kick returns for touchdowns. Patterson’s return value impacts games by helping out the offense’s field position. Plus, kick return touchdowns swings the momentum of a football game.

AROUND COVER32

Daily Dime: Patterson to Raiders, Elliott under scrutiny, Ware says goodbye

cover32 Exclusive:: Watch this one-on-one interview with the combine’s fastest prospect John Ross

Trivia Blitz Reveal: How did you stack up in Friday’s free agency quiz.

As a receiver, Patterson could add the element of speed to the Raiders. He tallied a career-high 52 catches in 2016. He also added 453 receiving yards and two touchdowns for the Vikings last season.

As Seth Roberts returns to Oakland as expected, his role is far from certain. Patterson actually posted a higher PFF grade as the 67th ranked receiver last season. The former Vikings player registered a 67.2 accumulative grade.  Unlike Roberts, who posted a 48.3 grade in 2016.

Therefore, Patterson could challenge Roberts for snaps on the inside. Further, Patterson’s 6’2″ frame and 4.4 40 could replace Raiders FA receiver Andre Holmes as the deep threat on the outside. Not to mention, the Raiders have two of the best route runners in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Cooper and Crabtree can help Patterson refine his route tree. Joining the Raiders could help Patterson run more than just bubble screens and go patterns.

Nonetheless, the 2013 29th pick  said he would love to play running back. Per Twincities.com, Patterson said he just wants the ball. Patterson has 31 career carries for 333 yards and four TD. Thus, Patterson adds value to the backfield that could lose last year’s starting RB Latavius Murray in free agency.

Granted, the Raiders could’ve drafted a receiver in April. However, there is no guarantee that any NFL rookie changes games like Patterson. OC Downing could use Patterson the way the Packers do with Cobb.

Patterson’s return experience , receiver and potential running back makes him a great value. His explosion would fit in Oakland. Patterson is the explosive athlete that late Raiders owner Al Davis would have coveted.

Ultimately, the 25-year-old  makes sense for the Raiders. It was time for Oakland to just sign Patterson. He slides into the third receiver role without issue. Imagine how good the offense becomes then.

  Follow Pete on Twitter @Petecertified

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Raiders RB Washington Seeks Breakout 2017 Season

When the Raiders drafted DeAndre Washington with the 143rd overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, few knew his identity of skillset. Yet, Reggie McKenzie wisely ignores the wishes of others and sticks to his draft board. Washington falling to Oakland seems like a blessing in disguise. With a solid rookie year in the books, 2017 promises to be excitement for him. As 12-4 fades into the history books, Washington aims to carve out his own path.

Increased Touches: As Latavius Murray departs, someone needs to assume many of his carries/catches. With this is mind, expect Washington to grab a decent amount. As a matter of fact, look for him to see the ball inside enemy territory with regularity. For example, Washington tallied  5.6 ypc from the opponents 49-20 yard lines. Another key point is that both of Washington’s rushing touchdowns resided outside of the 20. Due to his explosion and agility, Washington presents a tough matchup for defenders.

Better Coaching: Although, the Raiders flourished under former OC Bill Musgrave, his play-calling bordered on the strange occasionally. Enter Todd Downing into the mix. Downing is closer to one player on this team than anyone: Derek Carr. Musgrave seemed detached from the on-field happenings, sitting up in the box. On the other hand, Downing appears more hands on. Washington rushed the ball four times in the playoff loss to Houston, and no one truly knows why.

AROUND COVER32

Decision Time: What should the Vikings do with AP?

Free Agency:: Which teams will be most active this year?

Mock Draft:: Who is your team taking in our latest Mock Draft?

Mental Toughness: During the regular season, the Raiders deactivated Washington for two game. The reason? According to the Bay Area News Group’s Jimmy Durkin, a healthy Taiwan Jones was the cause. Most rookies, especially fifth-rounder would take that slight and crawl into a shell. Washington is different from most rookies. From that point on, Washington handled every carry with urgency.

  Pressure: Washington enters the season as the starting running back. However, he will not remain there. The Raiders will inevitably draft a banger to gain those tough yards. Washington must still produce. Jalen Richard is the third running back on the roster. While Richard is needed on special teams, don’t underestimate his role. Should Washington struggle, Richard is there to unseat him.

On the whole, DeAndre Washington sits in a fantastic position. He can rack up the yardage while the power pack endures the damage near the goal line. Draws, screens and perimeter running plays will keep him busy during the season. Despite being second on the depth chart, the Raiders need Washington to provide that much needed burst. He captivated RaiderNation with his running style. Now, the league will pay attention.

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