After that historic come-from-behind victory Saturday for the Minnesota Vikings, it’s safe to say that fantasy managers with Kirk Cousins or Justin Jefferson in their lineups advanced in the first round of the fantasy playoffs. (Then there’s the poor sucker – me – who went up against a fantasy rival with Cousins and Jefferson in the lineup. See ya next year.)
At halftime of the Colts-Vikings game, the numbers were actually pretty abysmal. Cousins had just 83 yards passing. Jefferson had three receptions for 17 yards. The Vikings trailed 33-0. By the time the game was over – after Greg Joseph’s 40-yard field goal with seven seconds left in overtime had wrapped up the 36-33 thriller – Cousins had 460 yards and four TD passes and Jefferson had 12 catches for 123 yards and one score.
Cousins and Jefferson weren’t the only fantasy winners in Week 15, as there were a few other big-time performances. But it’s possible that this Vikings duo can be the biggest league-winners during the 2022 fantasy playoffs.
They’ve already carried the day in Week 15. The Vikings’ Week 16 opponent? The New York Giants, whose pass defense has been very shaky the second half of the season. For those fantasy managers who advance to the finals in Week 17, New Year’s Day sees the Vikings traveling to Green Bay. In Week 1 against the Packers, Cousins passed for 277 yards and two scores. Jefferson? All he did was catch nine passes for 189 yards.
Perhaps the biggest potential obstacle for fantasy managers with Cousins and Jefferson might be the Green Bay weather forecast. It’s certainly possible the frozen tundra makes offensive production difficult. But if there aren’t severe weather issues, Cousins and Jefferson could be the most valuable players of the fantasy playoffs.
