Minnesota Vikings

Kene Nwangwu is expected to get more involved in the Vikings offense in Week 13 as Dalvin Cook is on the mend. Alexander Mattison will still likely get the bulk of the work at RB. (Source: Chris Tomasson on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Nwangwu is likely only going to have appeal in deeper leagues this week. However, if Zimmer is true to his work he could have some flex appeal if he is a factor in both the running and passing game, but again this is not the safest of plays.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Vikings RB Dalvin Cook (shoulder) is expected to miss at least two games. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Schefter adds the hope is that Cook can return in Week 15 against the Bears. The good news for fantasy managers is this isn't a season-ending issue as of now. Alexander Mattison will be a borderline RB1 for any games that Cook misses moving forward, especially against the Detroit Lions in Week 13.

Vikings CB Patrick Peterson reportedly placed on reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday. (Source: Field Yates on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: These situations are incredibly fluid based on the nature of the NFL COVID-19 protocol. As such, there is not much to draw from this news for now, but should we hypothesize that Peterson misses Week 13's divisional game vs the Detroit Lions, it would be a boon for Lions WRs. Continue to track this story as the week progresses.

The Minnesota Vikings D/ST registered two sacks and one interception in the team's 34-26 Week 12 loss to the 49ers. They added a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown late in the third quarter.

Fantasy Impact: The Vikings D/ST wasn't very effective once again, allowing 423 total yards and recording just one turnover. The kick return touchdown late in the third frame did serve as a nice bonus, however. They'll take on the lowly Lions in Week 13, where fantasy managers can fire them up as a top-10 option.

Vikings kicker Greg Joseph hit 2-of-3 extra points in the Vikings' Week 12 loss to the 49ers. He did not attempt any field goals.

Fantasy Impact: Joseph missed an extra point for the second straight game, and did not get any field goal opportunities. Despite the down performance, fantasy owners can expect him to bounce back versus the lowly Lions next week.

Tyler Conklin hauled in 2-of-3 targets for 25 yards in Sunday afternoon's loss to San Francisco.

Fantasy Impact: All three of Conklin's targets actually came on a single drive in the final frame. He nearly lost a fumble on his second grab, but was able to recover it. Cousins looked for him in the end zone a few plays later, but the pass was incomplete, failing to salvage Conklin's fantasy day. He'll look to rebound against the struggling Lions for Week 13.

Adam Thielen hauled in 5-of-7 targets for 62 yards and two touchdowns in Minnesota's loss to San Francisco.

Fantasy Impact: Thielen now has 10 touchdowns on the year. He registered a stronger fantasy day than Jefferson this week, who had gone for 312 yards and two scores across the previous two games. Thielen's yardage could be on the rise going forward depending on how serious Dalvin Cook's shoulder injury is. Regardless, he'll remain a WR2 next week in Detroit.

Justin Jefferson hauled in 4-of-9 targets for 83 yards and completed a pass for 24 yards in Sunday afternoon's defeat to the 49ers.

Fantasy Impact: While Jefferson led the team in targets, Cousins was not very effective throwing the ball this week. They should be back on the same page next game versus the lowly Lions, where the Vikings may be forced to pass more with the potential loss of Dalvin Cook. Fantasy managers should fire Jefferson up as a strong WR1 for that one.

Alexander Mattison rushed seven times for 21 yards and a touchdown in Minnesota's loss to San Francisco. He additionally caught 2-of-3 targets for seven yards.

Fantasy Impact: Midway through the third quarter, Mattison vultured a six-yard touchdown immediately after Dalvin Cook caught a 24-yard pass. But it was later in the quarter where Cook lost a fumble and was subsequently carted off the field with a shoulder injury. It had the looks of a serious injury, as Cook was in tears. Mattison is a clear RB1 for fantasy purposes whenever he receives the starting nod, and it's possible that he finishes the year as the lead tailback depending on how Cook's MRI goes. The Vikings will battle the struggling Lions for Week 13.

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 20-of-32 passes for 238 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the Vikings' Week 12 loss to the 49ers.

Fantasy Impact: Cousins' no-interception streak was snapped at five games this week. It was an expensive pick too, as he threw the pass right to 49ers LB Azeez Al-Shaair, which led to a touchdown on the very next play for San Francisco. Cousins did hook up with Adam Thielen for two scores in the first half. The Vikings may need to throw the ball more going forward if Dalvin Cook's shoulder injury keeps him out for an extended period of time. Cousins should remain a low-end QB1 next week in Detroit.

The Vikings have placed Everson Griffen on the reservce/NFI list after reports of Griffen posting a video of himself acting erratically while holding a gun, reportedly calling 911 and telling responders that he had fired it inside his home. He did leave his home peacefully with no one being hurt from the incident. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Hopefully the time off from football will help Griffen and his mental health to come back healthy and ready to play football again.

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith has been activated from the reserve/COVID list. (Source: Minnesota Vikings on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: The Vikings will get Smith back for a key divisional matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Smith has been back to his DB1 form this season and should be ready for a full complement of snaps for Week 11. Deploy him as usual.

K.J. Osborn hauled in 1-of-2 targets for 20 yards in the Vikings' Week 9 defeat to the Ravens.

Fantasy Impact: Osborn has produced just 30 total yards on five targets across the last two contests. TE Tyler Conklin has essentially emerged as the No. 3 option in this Vikings offense, where he recorded 102 yards on 14 targets through the last two weeks. Osborn has still showcased his ability to be a fantasy option multiple games this season, so a high-volume performance should be on the horizon. For now, however, he cannot be trusted in fantasy lineups next week versus the Chargers.

Coach Zimmer confirmed that Danielle Hunter (pectoral) has sustained a season-ending tear. (Source: Ian Rappaport via Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: For fantasy managers in IDP leagues, this may be a blow to your roster as Hunter had six sacks on the year, which put him on pace to match his career-high of 14.5 for the season.

Chris Herndon caught 1-of-2 targets for two yards and a touchdown in Minnesota's Week 6 victory versus Carolina.

Fantasy Impact: Herndon actually recorded his first reception of the season, which went as a two-yard score in the second quarter. Despite the touchdown grab, he is completely off the fantasy radar unless Tyler Conklin and other pass-catchers were forced to miss time.

Minnesota Vikings RB Ameer Abdullah carried five times for 24 yards in a 30-17 Week 3 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Fantasy Impact: Abdullah was efficient on limited carries, rushing for just under five yards per carry in relief of Alexander Mattison on Sunday. However, he was held without a target and should be left on waiver wires or benches in deeper leagues.

Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks, who was listed as questionable with a quadriceps injury, is active for Sunday's Week 2 game against the Cardinals. (Source: Chris Tomasson on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: This is a positive update on Kendricks, who did not practice on Thursday and was limited on Friday. The 29-year-old played 100 percent of defensive snaps last week and made 15 tackles along the way.

Minnesta Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday’s Week 2 contest against the Arizona Cardinals. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Barr was unable to practice this week and has been ruled out for Week 2 against Arizona. This will be the second straight game Barr has missed due to a knee injury. The Vikings' defense will also be without DE Everson Griffen (concussion) on Sunday. Minnesota’s defense allowed 27 points and surrendered 366 yards of total offense to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. Barr’s absence only helps QB Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals’ offense. The Vikings D/ST is not a viable streaming option in Week 2.

Irv Smith underwent surgery to repair his meniscus and will likely be out 4-to-5 months. Expect Smith to miss the regular season. (Source: Adam Shefter on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Smith being out vacates the tight end spot in Minnesota. The Vikings completed a trade for Chris Herndon, who will replace Smith as the starter. Smith being out for the season could give a slight bump in targets to both Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen.

Minnesota Vikings rookie WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette hauled in two-of-six targets for 12 yards during Saturday's 33-6 preseason Week 1 loss against the Denver Broncos.

Fantasy Impact: The rookie out of the University of Iowa only managed to catch two of his six targets for 12 yards but had an impressive 30-yard kickoff return, evading several defenders with impressive fluidity. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and could become a primary special teams contributor for the Vikings in 2021.