The Minnesota Vikings will play in their second road game of the playoffs on Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. This will be the first contest of the Divisional Round, and it presents an interesting quarterback matchup between Jimmy Garoppolo and Kirk Cousins.
Both Garoppolo and Cousins were trade targets for San Francisco in 2017. But the 49ers chose to acquire Garoppolo from the New England Patriots instead of paying a hefty price to get Cousins from Washington. We took a look at which signal caller could put up the most DKFP this weekend.
Fantasy football analysis: 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, Vikings QB Kirk Cousins
Garoppolo and Cousins have similar numbers this year. They’re only 133 yards apart in terms of passing yards and Cousins only threw one more touchdown on the year. But Garoppolo’s ceiling is higher this week because of San Francisco’s defense and the presence of an elite go-to guy.
The 49ers have the second highest adjusted sack rate (9.1%) in the NFL this year, according Football Outsiders. They also gave up the least passing yards in the league, which could force the Vikings to lean on running back Dalvin Cook heavily. Both San Francisco and Minnesota’s ground attacks are sturdy, but Garoppolo has arguably the best tight end in football in George Kittle for red zone opportunities. The hierarchy of the Vikings’ receiving corps is in question after the Wild Card round. Cousins will likely still be handing the ball off as the Vikings approach the goal line. Especially after the performance Cook had against the New Orleans Saints’ dominant front line.
Start/Sit Recommendation
Start Garoppolo and sit Cousins in classic and showdown DFS contests. Cousins should be rattled by Nick Bosa and company coming at him on the road.