Camp Notes, Volume Two: Minnesota Vikings

Curtis Patrick

Dynasty fantasy football is our beloved stripped-down approximation of the NFL. We are the head coaches and general managers of our teams, choosing who stays or goes, and who plays or sits. NFL Training Camps are perhaps the best opportunity we have on the dynasty calendar to project how useful our assets will be in the coming season, particularly when it comes to managing the bottom third of our roster. The better you know the rosters of every NFL team, the more prepared you’ll be to execute the corresponding dynasty moves when camp news breaks. I’m mining all the beat reports, team websites, and post-practice press conferences to bring you a comprehensive overview of what’s going on this summer in all 32 training camps.

Minnesota Vikings

Our second stop on the 2017 DLF Training Camp Tour is with the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are a team in search of a new identity on offense. Adrian Peterson is gone, and the smash mouth offense went with him. Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur, who took over midway through the 2016 season, will be installing his west coast offense to maximize the strengths of quarterback Sam Bradford. Shurmur and Bradford have ties dating back to St. Louis, when Shurmur helped break the former number one draft pick in to the league. The two rediscovered their rhythm quickly last season and Bradford set the single-season NFL record for passing completion percentage.

Despite the high-reliability passing attack, the Vikings had middling passing production, ranking between 12th and 21st in most key passing categories. However, the attack was funneled through three primary players, Stefon Diggs, Kyle Rudolph, and Adam Thielen. As a result, this passing offense was very useful for fantasy purposes. Diggs was WR14 in fantasy points-per-game, and Rudolph finished his breakout season as fantasy’s TE2. Thielen was a productive flex-player, thanks to Laquon Treadwell’s inability to earn the trust of the coaching staff to get on the field. This core returns in 2017 and will have the benefit of a full off-season to install Shurmur’s scheme. The dynasty arrow remains pointed up on Diggs and Rudolph, in particular.

Once a proud Vikings tradition, the rushing attack ranked dead last in yards and yards per carry in 2016. As a result, the front office committed to a complete overhaul of the offensive line and the backfield. The team drafted three offensive linemen with zone blocking experience and signed two veterans in free agency. The Vikings traded up to select Dalvin Cook in the second round of the draft and also signed free agent Latavius Murray from Oakland. Jerick McKinnon remains in town as a change of pace option.

Below is a rundown of all players I project to have dynasty relevance in 2017 in a typical 12-team league with 24-man rosters (288 players rostered).

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It’s early in camp; rookies reported on July 23rd and have completed three days of practice. Veterans reported on July 26th, but due to severe weather the practice was cancelled and the team audibled to an indoor walkthrough.

The early focus in camp has been installing a new, zone rushing attack which will cater specifically to Cook’s skills. Shurmur discussed Cook and the new zone scheme in this post-practice press conference.

In our Rookie SWOT series, Jeff Miller speculated that Cook could open the season as the “questioned three down starter”, and is “ready to catch 50+ balls out of the gate”. Murray is out with an injury, so Cook will be hogging all the starter’s reps early in camp and have every chance to prove Miller correct.

Teddy Bridgewater was placed on the physically unable to perform list on July 26th, which means he can’t practice with the team until he gets medical clearance. He joins Murray, who was placed on the PUP on July 24th.

No player will have more pressure on him than Treadwell in this year’s camp. The 2016 first round pick turned a receiving line of 1/15/0 in his rookie campaign and now must unseat Thielen in order to earn a prominent role. I expect him to be given every chance to fail as the WR3 early in camp, but ascending to starter status would likely require preseason dominance.

Michael Floyd wasted no time finding his way to head coach Mike Zimmer’s bad side after testing positive for alcohol while on a house arrest sentence for an extreme DUI. The former 1,000-yard receiver is facing a minimum two games suspension with a possibility of more. He doesn’t belong anywhere near your dynasty roster, but some DLF rankers just can’t quit him.

Projected Cuts (among dynasty relevant players): Michael Floyd

Projected ADP Risers

Players who will rise one or more rounds in startup ADP by the end of the 2017 season: Dalvin Cook, Kyle Rudolph

Projected ADP Fallers

Players who will fall one or more rounds in startup ADP by the end of the 2017 season: Latavius Murray, Adam Thielen

Waiver Wire Watch List (players with ADP >240): Bucky Hodges