👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Thursday Night Matchups: Adrian Peterson, Stefon Diggs, David Johnson, John Brown & More

For those that made the playoffs in your respective leagues, congratulations! Hopefully the advice from one or many of the website's contributors played a part in your success. To those who weren't as lucky, just remember, like the Cleveland Browns, there's always next year.

With a microscope on decision-making for the fantasy football playoffs, below is another round of start 'em/sit 'em for the Thursday Night Football game between the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals.

 

Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.

Vikings @ Cardinals - Thursday Night Analysis

Adrian PetersonIt's shaping up to be a two-week bummer for managers having to play Adrian Peterson in some of the biggest weeks for the fantasy season. Last week, Peterson was bottled up by Seattle's defense, rushing eight times for just 18 yards, including only three second-half carries.

Arizona's defense has given up the eighth-fewest points to running backs this season, but at this stage in the game there's nothing else one can do besides hope for a better game plan and a non-blowout like last week. It should be noted that Peterson complained after a lack of carries in the game against Green Bay three weeks ago and was rewarded with 29 touches the following week.

Stefon DiggsDiggs should be on the bench for anyone that has been using him as a flex or WR3 play. After bursting onto the scene earlier in the season, it's been a slow decline for the rookie wide receiver for five straight weeks.

In those five starts, Diggs tallied more than four catches only once, didn't find the end zone and never surpassed 70 receiving yards. With Arizona's wicked secondary on deck, Diggs is taking a seat. He can be considered for the fantasy semifinals against the Chicago Bears and championship round against the New York Giants.

Teddy BridgewaterNo. Not even in two-quarterback formats.

Carson PalmerA true NFL MVP candidate, Palmer has thrown for nine touchdowns to only three interceptions in four games since their bye week. Palmer has only had less than 40 pass attempts one time in those four games and should be on that pace again with the Cardinals' running back issues. Coming off back-to-back road games, the home fans are going to be jacked-up to root for the 10-2 first place Cardinals, and all signs point to Palmer putting on a show.

David JohnsonHe's been the obvious beneficiary of injuries to Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington, as he tallied 22 carries for 99 yards in addition to two catches and a receiving touchdown against the St. Louis Rams. Head coach Bruce Arians has publicly stated that he wants Johnson to see about the same workload, so it would be an odd decision to not trust his word.

John Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, Michael FloydI do not see any logic for either of these three players to be left out of lineups. Their position in the pecking order is pretty clear at this point--Fitzgerald is the obvious number one, and when both are healthy Brown gets more likes than the deep threat Floyd.

Fitzgerald has seen double-digit targets in five straight games and in six of his last seven. Averaging nine catches per game over his last four, Fitzgerald will approach double-digit points in addition to having plenty of opportunities to score.

Brown has three straight games with double-digit fantasy points scored and has over 200 receiving yards in his last two games. Anywhere from five to eight targets is expected, but Palmer and Brown have a good rapport on those mid-range throws. He also typically catches at least one bomb every week.

Floyd is the scariest to play of the three, as he seems to have cooled down from his beastly midseason stretch of games. Last week he caught 7-of-12 passes for over 100 yards, which was one week after his two-target, one-catch performance. He's splitting targets and catches with two others, so there's obvious potential for a dud, but not many WR3 or flex plays have a higher upside than Floyd in this high-powered offense.

Arizona D/ST: Arizona is riding a six-game streak of causing at least one turnover and Teddy Bridgewater isn't Mr. Ball Security. I like this above-average play for the first round of the fantasy playoffs. If Peterson is bottled up early, then you're in real business.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Robert Williams III

Won't Play Monday
Klay Thompson

Unvailable on Monday
Anfernee Simons

Out at Least 10 More Days
Johan Rojas

Suspended 80 Games for PED Violation
José Ramírez

No Plans for Jose Ramirez to Undergo Imaging on Injured Shoulder
Jaden Ivey

Expected to Miss at Least One More Week
Darius Slay

Retires From the NFL
Jonathan Kuminga

Slated to Suit Up Monday
Seiya Suzuki

Undergoing MRI Exam on Monday
Joe Musgrove

Expected to Open the Year on the Injured List
Peyton Watson

Hopes to Return This Week
Christian Kirk

49ers Sign Christian Kirk to One-Year Deal
Kawhi Leonard

Downgraded to Unavailable on Monday
Matt McCarty

Could Thrive at the Valspar Championship
Michael Kim

Seeks to Dust Off Tough Week at TPC Sawgrass
Max Homa

Enjoying a Solid 2026 Heading into Valspar Championship
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Slugging Through Rough 2026 Season
Zach Neto

Expected to Return to Game Action on Tuesday
Kyren Williams

Will Kyren Williams Remain the Undisputed RB1 in Los Angeles Going Forward?
Mason Taylor

Does Mason Taylor Have Breakout Potential in 2026?
Puka Nacua

Appears Poised to Dominate for Years to Come
Andrew Novak

Wants to Rebound After The Players Championship
Austin Smotherman

on Baby Watch as Valspar Championship Approaches
Ben Sinnott

Does Not Appear to Be in Washington's Long-Term Plans
Luke Clanton

Might Have Issues at the Valspar Championship
Sam Darnold

Profiles as a Safe QB2 in Dynasty Formats Heading into 2026
Jerry Jeudy

Can Jerry Jeudy Bounce Back from Underwhelming 2025 Campaign?
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Must be Accurate at the Valspar Championship
Josh Emmett

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Kevin Vallejos

Scores First-Round TKO
Amanda Lemos

Drops Back-To-Back Fights
Gillian Robertson

Extends Her Win Streak
Zach Neto

to Take Batting Practice on Monday
Andre Fili

Drops Decision on Saturday
Cam Skattebo

Thinks he'll be 100 Percent Healthy in a Little Over a Month
Denny Hamlin

Dominates and Gets His Third Career Las Vegas Win
Chase Elliott

Earns Runner-Up Finish at Las Vegas
William Byron

Wins A Stage and Finishes Third at Las Vegas
Jeremy McNichols

Re-Signs With Commanders
Christopher Bell

Finishes Fourth at Las Vegas After Strong Run
Kyle Larson

Fades to Seventh Despite Leading Laps Early at Las Vegas
Justin Fields

Chiefs Acquiring Justin Fields From Jets
Andre Fili

Jose Delgado Edges Andre Fili in Split-Decision Win
Oumar Sy

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
Ion Cutelaba

Returns To The Win Column
CFB

CJ Carr Enters Sophomore Season as Heisman Favorite
CFB

Aaron Philo Not a Lock to be Florida's Starting QB?
CFB

George MacIntyre the Favorite to Win Tennessee Quarterback Battle?
CFB

Keelon Russell, Austin Mack Battling for Alabama QB1 Duties
Connor McDavid

Records Three Assists Sunday
Bo Groulx

Makes Big Impact Sunday
Drake Batherson

Pots Two Goals in Sunday's Win
Bobby McMann

Continues Dream Start in Seattle
Kirby Dach

Injured on High Hit
Alexander Wennberg

Without Timeline for Return
Leon Draisaitl

Exits Early with Injury Sunday
Harold Fannin Jr.

Officially Steps Into the Top Role
Max Strus

Makes Impact in Season Debut
Troy Franklin

Ready to Take on an Even Larger Role?
Seth Curry

Sidelined for at Least One Week
Brenton Strange

Trending Up Despite Anticipated Competition?
Al Horford

Set for Re-Evaluation Next Week
A.J. Brown

Eagles to Revisit A.J. Brown Trade Situation in June
Kawhi Leonard

Doubtful Monday Against Spurs
Kayshon Boutte

Steps Into a Larger Role for Now
Santi Aldama

Set for Season-Ending Knee Procedure
Christian McCaffrey

Tough to Justify Trading in Dynasty Leagues
Drew Eubanks

to Undergo Thumb Surgery
Isaiah Collier

Exits Early Sunday with Knee Injury
Troy Terry

Adds Three Points in Return to Lineup
Leo Carlsson

Picks Up Trio of Points on Sunday
Dejounte Murray

Battling Illness Ahead of Monday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Could Miss Another Game Monday
Noah Clowney

Sidelined Monday Versus Trail Blazers
Michael Porter Jr.

to Miss Third Straight Game
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez is Day-to-Day with Shoulder Inflammation
Alexandre Sarr

Out Monday Against Golden State
Jeremy Sochan

Returns to Action Sunday
Ömer Yurtseven

Omer Yurtseven Set to Debut Sunday for Golden State
Brendan Gallagher

Rejoins Canadiens Lineup Sunday
Daniil Tarasov

Starting Against Kraken
Quinn Ewers

Set to Back Up New Quarterback
Ty Emberson

Remains Out Sunday
Chris Brooks

the Preferred Handcuff in Green Bay?
Bobby Brink

Questionable Sunday
Kendre Miller

Continues to Fall Out of Favor in New Orleans
Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Unavailable Against Wild
Brashard Smith

Ascension Put on Pause?
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

a Game-Time Call Sunday
Corbin Carroll

to Resume Playing Defense This Week
John Carlson

Set for Ducks Debut
Francisco Lindor

Non-Committal About Status for Opening Day
Nathan Eovaldi

Named Rangers' Opening Day Starter
Hayden Birdsong

Diagnosed with Grade 2 Forearm Strain and UCL Sprain
Marcelo Mayer

Scratched With Left-Knee Soreness
Zach Neto

Tests Come Back Negative, Dealing With Sprained Hand
Christopher Bell

Looking for Redemption, Wins Pole at Las Vegas
Denny Hamlin

Should Contend for Another Vegas Win
Chase Briscoe

Qualifies 18th Despite Toyota Dominating at Las Vegas
Chase Elliott

May Fly Under the Radar at Las Vegas
NASCAR

Ross Chastian Has Been As Solid As They Come at Las Vegas
Ty Gibbs

Could Ty Gibbs Finally Break Through With a Win at Las Vegas?
Brad Keselowski

a Solid DFS Pick at Las Vegas
Francisco Lindor

is Making Spring Debut on Sunday
Carter Verhaeghe

Anton Lundell Expected to Return Sunday
Kyle Larson

Should Kyle Larson be Considered A Favorite for Las Vegas?
Sam Bennett

Considered Day-to-Day
William Byron

Could Compete for a Top-Five Finish at Las Vegas
Sam Reinhart

Not Traveling on Four-Game Road Trip
Ryan Blaney

Is Ryan Blaney Worth Rostering in Tournament DFS Lineups for Las Vegas?
Michael Rasmussen

Ruled Out for One Week
Tyler Reddick

Could Continue his Top-10 Streak at Las Vegas
Declan Carlile

to Miss 4-5 Weeks
Joey Logano

Should DFS Managers Underestimate Joey Logano for Las Vegas?
Chris Buescher

Is Chris Buescher Worth Rostering For Las Vegas DFS Lineups?
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace is A Risky DFS Option Who Could Pay Off at Las Vegas
Josh Berry

Has Plenty of Upside for Las Vegas DFS Lineups
Ryan Preece

Scores his First Las Vegas Top-10 Starting Spot in Qualifying
Seiya Suzuki

Leaves WBC Game on Saturday With Right-Knee Discomfort
Zach Neto

is Removed After Suffering Hand Injury
Joe Ryan

Won't Pitch in the World Baseball Classic
Zack Wheeler

Throws First Live BP Session on Saturday
Merrill Kelly

Expected to Open Season on the Injured List
Kevin Gausman

Named Toronto's Opening Day Starter
Kyle Stowers

Back in Grapefruit League Lineup
Kevin Vallejos

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Josh Emmett

In Dire Need Of Victory
Gillian Robertson

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 114
Amanda Lemos

Set For Co-Main Event
Oumar Sy

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Ion Cutelaba

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Hideki Matsuyama

Brings Strong Course History to TPC Sawgrass
Adam Scott

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Rickie Fowler

on Quite the Run Heading to TPC Sawgrass
Sepp Straka

Needs to Forget What Happened Sunday at Bay Hill
Jordan Spieth

an Enigma Heading to The Players Championship
Justin Rose

Trying to Pick Up the Pieces in Florida
Maverick McNealy

Bounces Back at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Brooks Koepka

Continues His Florida Swing With Some Momentum
Nicolai Hojgaard

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Robert MacIntyre

a Volatile Option at The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick

Looks to Return to Top Form at The Players
Sam Burns

a High-Risk, High-Reward Option at The Players
Keegan Bradley

Hard to Trust at The Players
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF