Heading into a pivotal week 11 matchup against the Chicago Bears, the Minnesota Vikings are looking to get back on track, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Getting the offense figured out is not only vital to their chances of picking up a win against a red-hot Bears squad, but also can help your fantasy football lineups (for those of you who still play lineup leagues).
In this one, we will take a look at the litany of weapons the Vikings have on offense, and decipher which players should make your starting roster and which guys should stay on the bench this week. Who cracks the starting lineup?
Start: Justin Jefferson
While this one may seem like a no-brainer to start arguably the best wide receiver in football, we are more looking at the matchup here. While Jefferson struggled last week with a mere 7.7 fantasy points, he goes up against a Bears secondary that is allowing a staggering 23.9 fantasy points per game to receivers. Volume should not be an issue for Jefferson, but it will be crucial for him to get catchable targets and see what he can do against a weak secondary.
Sit: Jordan Mason
While some may have thought that Aaron Jones, coming off a shoulder injury, would sacrifice some of his snaps, that would not come to pass. Against the Ravens, Jones actually saw his heaviest snap count of the season at 70%, while Mason saw just 24% of the running back snaps. Chicago allows 16.9 ppg to opposing running backs, but right now, Mason is nothing more than a handcuff who is touchdown-dependent. While he could steal goal-line work, I would not trust him while Jones is healthy.
Start: Jalen Nailor (in deep leagues)
Jalen Nailor is coming off arguably his best game as a pro, as he exploded last week for 23.4 fantasy points, catching five passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. J.J. McCarthy has said he is excited to see Nailor get more involved in the offense, and in a game where points might come in bunches, Nailor might be worth a FLEX spot on your lineups this week.
Sit: TJ Hockenson
TJ Hockenson is not currently receiving the target volume we would need to comfortably start him in leagues. With McCarthy starting, Hockenson has gained just 12 total targets over four games. Hockenson did run 44 routes on 58 snaps last week against Baltimore, so there is room for him to grow and have a quality outing, but as it stands, he can comfortably find a place on the bench this week.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Start/Sit decisions for the Vikings in fantasy football in Week 11
