:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67752330/1283553650.0.jpg)
Who can stay out of the NFC North cellar? That is what’s at stake when the Detroit Lions visit the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The Lions (3-4) were vastly outplayed in Week 8 as their defense allowed the Colts’ three-man backfield to tally 206 total yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw three touchdowns despite No. 1 wideout Kenny Golladay not recording a catch and then leaving in the third quarter because of a hip injury. In his stead, wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. scored twice, and tight end T.J. Hockenson captured seven of 10 targets for a season-high 65 yards.
The Minnesota Vikings (2-5) went on the road to upset the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Their game plan was simple. Give the ball to Dalvin Cook and then just don’t stop. The stud running back absolutely ate in Week 8, recording 163 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. He added a 50-yard receiving score for good measure. With Cook dominating, quarterback Kirk Cousins was left to attempt just 14 passes. The WR duo of Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson combined for six catches on eight targets for just 53 yards.
TV Info
Date: Sunday, Nov. 8
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS
Broadcast map
Notable Statistical rankings (Football Outsiders)
Lions: #17 Overall — #18 offense, #17 defense, #12 special teams
Vikings: #15 Overall — #16 offense, #16 defense, #22 special teams
DraftKings Sportsbook odds
Lions: +4, +175
Vikings: -4, -200
Total: 52.5
Fantasy football start/sit advice
Lions
Marvin Jones Jr., WR, $5,100
It was announced Monday that Golladay will be sidelined for Week 9 and probably beyond because of his hip injury. Jones thus becomes Detroit’s top wideout, ostensibly. He has come to life over the past two weeks after a sleepy start to the season and has a great matchup against the Vikings’ defense that has allowed a league-high 15 receiving TDs to opposing wideouts.
Marvin Hall, WR, $3,800
Looking for a boom-or-bust WR3 who comes cheap in DFS? Hall showed his big-play ability against the Colts, hauling in a bomb from Stafford for a 73-yard pick-up. He caught four passes for 113 yards last Sunday while playing a career-high 42 snaps. The floor here is somewhere down a well. But Hall has the skills — along with the opportunity and the matchup — to post some more big numbers in Week 9.
Vikings
Adam Thielen, WR, $6,700
Throw Week 8 away for Thielen and this entire passing game. The Vikings found something that worked — Cook — and just kept pounding away with it. Thielen won’t stay quiet for long. He averaged 21.2 fantasy points from Weeks 3-6 prior to the team’s Week 7. He’ll be stellar against a middling secondary and is a value this week, having had a lower salary just once all year.
Justin Jefferson, WR, $6,100
Between Thielen and Jefferson, at least one of these guys is going to pop in Week 9. Don’t forget that Jefferson had recorded at least 17 DraftKings points in each of the Vikings’ three games prior to last Sunday. His monster 9-166-2 line against Atlanta was part of that. Again, both WRs failed their fantasy owners last week, but one or both will make up for it versus the Lions, who just gave up three passing scores to Philip Rivers.