TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
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

Breece Hall

Jets Want to Re-Sign Breece Hall, Could Use Franchise Tag
Shohei Ohtani

Won't Pitch in the World Baseball Classic
Darius Garland

Ruled Out Again vs. Portland
Brandon Williams

Exits Early With Lower-Leg Injury
P.J. Washington

Leaves with Head Contusion vs. Rockets
Dario Šarić

Dario Saric Traded to Chicago
De'Andre Hunter

Traded to Sacramento
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Traded to Cleveland
Keon Ellis

Traded to Cleveland
Luis Arraez

Signs One-Year Deal With Giants
Troy Terry

Ready to Return Sunday
Victor Hedman

Set to Return Sunday
Connor McMichael

Out Week-to-Week
Kris Letang

Out for Four Weeks
Nico Hischier

a Game-Time Call Saturday
Jack Hughes

Won't Play Saturday
Linus Ullmark

Returns to Action Saturday
Blake Snell

Dodgers Plan to Have Blake Snell Ready for Opening Day
Paul George

Suspended for 25 Games
Shohei Ohtani

Will be Ready to Pitch to Start the 2026 Season
Francisco Lindor

Won't Play in WBC After Elbow Surgery
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Unlikely to Play Against Miami
Tre Jones

Still Sidelined as Bulls Face Miami
Tyler Herro

Remains Sidelined Saturday vs. Bulls
Norman Powell

Ruled Out vs. Bulls
Jeremy Sochan

Still Sidelined as Spurs Visit Charlotte
Keyonte George

Injures Ankle Late in Loss to Nets
Stephen Curry

Exits Early Against Pistons with Knee Issue
Charlie Coyle

Pots Second Career Hat Trick
Filip Hronek

Expected to Play Saturday
Pavel Zacha

Not Traveling With Bruins
Elias Lindholm

to Miss at Least Two More Games
William Nylander

on Track to Return Saturday
Kris Letang

Misses Practice, Uncertain for Saturday
Evgeni Malkin

Iffy for Saturday
Cade Cunningham

Ready to Rock Friday
Gui Santos

Available Against Pistons
Caris LeVert

Remains Sidelined Friday
Craig Porter Jr.

Out Against Suns
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Active Friday
Jamal Murray

Upgraded to Available Friday
Vinnie Pasquantino

Royals Agree on Two-Year Contract
Jacob Wilson

Signs Seven-Year Extension
Diego Lopes

An Underdog At UFC 325
Alexander Volkanovski

Set For UFC 325 Main Event
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Dan Hooker

Set For UFC 325 Co-Main Event
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev

Returns At UFC 325
CFB

Texas Lands Wake Forest Transfer Sterling Berkhalter
Samuel Ersson

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Thursday
Pavel Zacha

Exits Early Thursday
Charlie Lindgren

Hurt Versus Red Wings
Jack Hughes

Exits With Lower-Body Injury Thursday
Brad Marchand

Suffers New Injury Blow
Patrick Kane

Becomes NHL's Highest-Scoring U.S-Born Player
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Expected to Miss a Week
Tommy Edman

Will Have Delayed Start to Spring Training, Could Miss Opening Day
Kirk Cousins

Falcons Expected to Release Kirk Cousins
Chase Brown

Working on Extension With Bengals
Michael Penix Jr.

Hopes to be Ready for Week 1
Isaac Paredes

Not a Lock for Opening Day Lineup?
Dalton Kincaid

Doesn't Need Offseason Surgery
Josh Allen

Undergoes Foot Surgery
Josh Allen

on Crutches, Wearing Walking Boot
Corbin Carroll

a Top Fantasy Outfielder After Joining 30-30 Club
Jonah Tong

Won't Pitch in the World Baseball Classic
CFB

Michigan RB Bryson Kuzdzal Withdrawing from Transfer Portal
Aaron Judge

Appears to be Past his Elbow Issues
Bo Nix

Expected to Resume Training in 4-6 Weeks
Michael Penix Jr.

Thinks he'll be Ready by April
Evan Carter

Establishes a Goal to Steal 30 Bases
Edouard Julien

Traded to the Rockies
Cleveland Browns

Browns Hiring Todd Monken as Next Head Coach
Sahith Theegala

Off to Much Better 2026 Start
Gary Woodland

an Intriguing Option at Torrey Pines This Week
CJ Abrams

Giants Offer "Aggressive Pitch" for CJ Abrams
Andrew Putnam

Hopes to Keep Momentum Rolling This Week
Matthieu Pavon

Seeks to Return to 2024 Form at Torrey Pines
Luke List

Still Looking For Birdies at Torrey Pines
Jake Knapp

Faces Stiff Challenge at Farmers Insurance Open
Rasmus Hojgaard

Needs to Play Better at Torrey Pines
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Could Struggle at Farmers Insurance Open
J.J. Spaun

A Steady Option At Farmers Insurance Open
Andrew Novak

Looking For More Success At Torrey Pines
Denny McCarthy

A Wild Card At Farmers Insurance Open
Max Homa

Looks To Keep Resurgence Going At Torrey Pines
Joe Highsmith

Struggling Heading Into Torrey Pines
Wyndham Clark

Looks To Carry Momentum Into Farmers Insurance Open
Tony Finau

Aims To Turn Things Around At Torrey Pines
Akshay Bhatia

Looks to Bounce Back at Torrey Pines
Paul Goldschmidt

Yankees Expressing Interest in Re-Signing Paul Goldschmidt
Bo Bichette

Won't Play in World Baseball Classic
NFL

Bill Belichick Won't be First-Ballot Hall of Famer
Carlos Correa

Won't Play for Puerto Rico in World Baseball Classic
Si Woo Kim

Looks to Continue Incredible Run at Torrey Pines
Jason Day

has a Good Chance to Keep Momentum This Weekend
Keegan Bradley

has Good Course History at Torrey Pines
Billy Horschel

Isn't a Great DFS Option at Torrey Pines
Aaron Rodgers

Mike McCarthy Says he Wants Aaron Rodgers to Return
Will Zalatoris

Has a Shot to Challenge at the Farmers Insurance Open
Drake Maye

Expected to be Fine for Super Bowl
Tennessee Titans

Titans Set to Hire Brian Daboll as New Offensive Coordinator
Buffalo Bills

Bills Promote Joe Brady to Head Coach
CFB

Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi Signs with Michigan
CFB

Darian Mensah Reaches Settlement with Duke, Expected to Land at Miami
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Not Drawing Interest on Open Market?
Shedeur Sanders

Named as Pro Bowl Replacement
Framber Valdez

Among Many High-End Pitchers on Free-Agent Market
Jose Altuve

Won't Participate in World Baseball Classic
Paddy Pimblett

Drops Decision
Justin Gaethje

Becomes the New Interim-Lightweight Champion
Song Yadong

Suffers Unanimous Decision Loss
MMA

Sean O'Malley Gets Back In The Win Column
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Extends His Win Streak
Derrick Lewis

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Officially Hire Mike McDaniel as Offensive Coordinator

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP