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

John Collins

Sidelined vs. Warriors
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Set to Suit Up Monday
Neemias Queta

Gets Rest Day vs. Milwaukee
Jayson Tatum

Reportedly Set for Friday Comeback
Tristan Vukcevic

Ruled Out Versus Houston
Denver Nuggets

Tyus Jones Inks Deal with Nuggets
Trevor Moore

Unavailable Monday
Kyshawn George

Will Face the Rockets
Drew Doughty

Could Return Thursday
Cameron Johnson

Out Monday Against Jazz
Roope Hintz

Misses Third Consecutive Game
Zach Werenski

Iffy for Monday's Action
Trae Young

Ready to Make Wizards Debut on Thursday
Travis Konecny

a Game-Time Decision Monday
John Gibson

Exits Win Early
Jaylen Brown

Out Monday
Connor Murphy

Moving to Edmonton
Zach Neto

Scorching-Hot Early in Spring Training
Grayson Rodriguez

Happy With his Secondary Pitches
Gavin Stone

has "Setback" With his Shoulder, "Paused" From Throwing
Khalil Mack

Will Play in 2026
MMA

Lone'er Kavanagh Gets Back In The Win Column
Alex Verdugo

Padres Add Alex Verdugo on Minor-League Deal
Joe Musgrove

to Start Exhibition Game on Wednesday
Brandon Moreno

Gets Outclassed
Masyn Winn

Sits Out on Monday Due to Arm Soreness
Marlon Vera

Loses Fourth Fight In A Row
Daniel Jones

Colts Have "50/50" Chance to Get a Deal Done With Daniel Jones
David Martinez

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Daniel Zellhuber

Loses Third Consecutive Fight
King Green

Gets Second-Round TKO Win
Felipe Bunes

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Édgar Cháirez

Edgar Chairez Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Ryan Blaney

Falls to Eighth Despite Running Most of the Race in the Top Five At COTA
Ty Gibbs

Wins A Stage and Finishes Fourth At COTA
Christopher Bell

Earns First Top-Five Finish of the 2026 Season at COTA
Kyler Murray

"Repeatedly" Linked to Jets
Shane Van Gisbergen

Falls Short of Victory At COTA
Tyler Reddick

Wins At COTA and Makes NASCAR History
Yordan Alvarez

Making Spring Debut on Monday
Dylan Crews

X-Rays Come Back Negative on Dylan Crews' Thumb
David Montgomery

Texans Acquire David Montgomery From Lions
Bubba Chandler

Struggles to Command Pitches Again in Second Outing
Jett Williams

Dealing with Left Quadriceps Soreness
Brice Matthews

Enjoying Hot Start in Grapefruit League
Neemias Queta

Explodes for Career-High 27 Points
Spencer Jones

Flashing Elite Power in Spring Games
Stephen Curry

Out at Least Five More Games
Kristaps Porzingis

to Miss Fifth Straight Game
Konnor Griffin

Launches Third Spring Training Home Run
Cameron Johnson

Exits with Ankle Issue in Loss
Lukas Dostal

Sets New Career High With 24th Win
Andrew Painter

Sharp in Spring Debut, Emerging as Favorite for Starting Role
Klay Thompson

Leaves Game After Second-Quarter Injury
Kris Dunn

Leaves Game After Taking Elbow to Head
Cutter Gauthier

Hits Two Goals in Shootout Win
John Collins

Suffers Elbow Injury Sunday
Robert Thomas

Returns to Action With Multi-Point Effort
Matthew Tkachuk

Dishes Out Three Assists Sunday
Matthew Schaefer

Has First Three-Point Outing
Teuvo Teravainen

Pots Two Goals In Sunday's Win
Arvid Soderblom

Keeps Mammoth Quiet
Bryan Rust

With a Strong Two-Point Game
Arturs Silovs

Earns a Shutout on Sunday Afternoon
LeBron James

Available Versus Sacramento
Zion Williamson

Ruled Out Versus Clippers
Shelby Miller

Officially Placed on 60-Day Injured List
Kevin Love

Resting Monday Against Nuggets
Jacob deGrom

is Nearing Spring Debut
Tristan Vukcevic

Could Miss Game Vs. Houston
José Soriano

Jose Soriano has Start Pushed Back
Bobby Miller

Being Viewed as Reliever
Walker Jenkins

is Diagnosed with Hamstring Strain
Jonathan Drouin

Unavailable Sunday
Darcy Kuemper

Won't Play Monday Due to Illness
EDM

Oilers Place Andrew Mangiapane on Waivers
Uvis Balinskis

Out Sunday
Dmitry Kulikov

Comes Off Injured Reserve
Merrill Kelly

"Optimistic" About Being Ready by Opening Day
Gabriel Moreno

Can Gabriel Moreno Put Together a Fully Healthy Season in 2026?
Kyler Murray

Likely to be Released
Travis Etienne Jr.

Not Expected to be Franchise-Tagged
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Planning to Release Aaron Jones Sr.?
Tyler Reddick

Could Make History at COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Still the Favorite at COTA
Christopher Bell

Will Be Tough to Beat at COTA
AJ Allmendinger

Could Contend at COTA
Connor Zilisch

Carries Plenty of Upside for DFS at COTA
Chase Elliott

May be A Strong Contender Again at COTA
Chris Buescher

Is Nothing But Consistent at Road Courses
Ross Chastain

May Be An Underrated Competitor for the Win at COTA
William Byron

Is William Byron a Viable DFS Option for COTA?
Carson Hocevar

Needs Clean Race at COTA
Kyle Larson

Could be A Decent DFS Option for COTA Lineups
Ryan Blaney

Could Ryan Blaney be A Sleeper DFS Option for All Formats for COTA?
Chase Briscoe

Should DFS Players Roster Chase Briscoe at COTA?
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Is A Favorable Value Option for COTA DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs

Could Ty Gibbs Be A Rosterable DFS Play for COTA?
Michael McDowell

Is Michael McDowell A Favorable DFS Option for COTA?
A.J. Brown

Patriots "Have Explored Trade Talks" Involving A.J. Brown
Lone'er Kavanagh

Set For UFC Mexico City Main Event
Brandon Moreno

Looks To Bounce Back
David Martinez

Set For UFC Mexico City Co-Main Event
Marlon Vera

In Dire Need Of Victory
King Green

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Zellhuber

Aims To Snap Two-Fight Skid
Felipe Bunes

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Édgar Cháirez

Edgar Chairez A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
George Pickens

Cowboys Not Interested in Trading George Pickens
Ashton Jeanty

Not in Line for Workhorse Role in 2026?
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Give Anthony Richardson Sr. Permission to Seek a Trade
Kyler Murray

Prefers to be Released
Derek Carr

"Strong Belief" That Derek Carr is "Very Serious" About Unretiring
Andy Dalton

Is Andy Dalton Available for a Trade?
Keith Mitchell

Making The Comfortable Return to PGA National
CFB

Chandler Morris Suing NCAA for Seventh Year of Eligibility
Chris Kirk

Searching for a Spark at Cognizant Classic
Brooks Koepka

Making Third PGA Tour Start at Cognizant Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Steady Option at Cognizant Classic
Seamus Power

Seeking More Green in Florida
PGA

Haotong Li Back From a Break as Florida Stretch Starts
Stephan Jaeger

Trying to Put Four Rounds Together in Florida
PGA

Nico Echavarria Again Attempting to Make the Weekend
Patrick Fishburn

Looking for a Spark at Cognizant Classic
Blades Brown

Set for Cognizant Classic Debut
Michael Thorbjornsen

Looking to Bounce Back at Cognizant Classic
Maxx Crosby

Raiders Expect Maxx Crosby to Return
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF