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The Vikings season will finally begin at noon today when they kick off against the Buccaneers. Vikings fans are confident in the team, but what do sports betters and daily fantasy makers think about the game?
Here are some of my favorite daily fantasy pick’em selections available on Underdog Fantasy for the Vikings/Buccaneers game. A strong disclaimer for all of you: I am not from the future. That means I lose more than I win in daily fantasy, so don’t expect each of these to be winners. With that in mind, these are the selections I like the most for today.
K.J. Osborn – Higher than 2.5 receptions
While the Vikings did invest a first round pick in Jordan Addison, KJ Osborn should still be considered WR2 headed into the season opener. Addison will surely make an impact, but its likely the veteran Osborn will garner more targets early in the season while Addison ramps up to speed as a pro. Osborn also finished last season strong with more than 3 catches in the Vikings final 5 games. In fact, Osborn only failed to reach 3 catches in 7 games last season, so if last season’s trend continues there is a better than 50% chance of this hitting.
Kirk Cousins – Lower than 36.5 passing attempts
Yes, the Vikings were one of the most pass happy teams in the NFL this year, but the Kevin O’Connell has made it clear that the Vikings run game is a greater priority this season. Week 1, with multiple weeks of preparation, would be a time O’Connell is likely to show that flexibility. The Vikings were also a pass happy team last year largely because they were attempting 4th quarter comebacks each week. It’s not likely the Vikings will continue their close game trend forever (we hope). Also, Tampa Bay is one of the weaker teams in the league, should the Vikings take care of business as expected, they will likely be running the ball more later in the game, leaving Cousins short of 37 pass attempts.
Cade Otten – Higher Than 26.5 receiving yards
The second year Tampa Bay TE was busy as a rookie. Per ESPN, he was 5th in routes run at the TE position last season, however that didn’t often correlate to great numbers. That could change in week 1 against the inexperienced Vikings defense. Brian Flores is likely to bring pressure against Mayfield which could lead to hot routes and quick throws that TEs are often the beneficiary of. In addition, the Vikings LB core isn’t known for its coverage prowess. Jordan Hicks had an uninspiring 50.4 PFF coverage grade last season, and Brian Asamoah and Ivan Pace, Jr are both untested. Cade Otten could very well catch the 2 or 3 passes needed to eclipse 27 yards receiving.
