Michael Thomas-Getty Images
The Minnesota Vikings had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season, both in real and fantasy football terms, but the arrival of head coach Mike Zimmer and the installation of a new scheme brought hope for improvement this year.
Week 1′s matchup with the St. Louis Rams looked very favorable, particularly after quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during the preseason. Facing journeyman Shaun Hill, who started his first regular season game since 2010, put the Vikings in line for a good showing defensively.
The Vikings’ defense did not disappoint, allowing just six points, registering five sacks and intercepting two passes on Sunday. Safety Harrison Smith returned the second interception 81 yards for a touchdown, which helped Minnesota’s defense put up 19 fantasy points in ESPN standard scoring and 22 points in Yahoo! scoring. It’s worth noting that Hill did not play in the second half of the game due to a quad injury, leading to Austin Davis seeing the first regular season action of his career, so it would be a major red flag if the Vikings’ defense did not dominate the way it did.
Things will get much more difficult in Week 2 against the New England Patriots, based primarily on a significant upgrade under center going from Hill and Davis to Tom Brady. But the Miami Dolphins did shut the Patriots out in the second half on Sunday, while sacking Brady four times and recovering two fumbles in the game. So it’s not impossible to keep New England’s offense in check, but the Vikings’ pass rush will have to be dialed-in for a second straight week and any opportunities for turnovers will have to be taken advantage of.
Minnesota’s schedule will not get any easier after next week, with a laundry list of the league’s best quarterbacks on the docket through Week 6. Owners in deeper leagues that can add and stash the Vikings’ defense can surely consider doing so, but I need to see them hold their own against some better offenses before I recommend the unit as a must-add and a weekly starting option. Looking further ahead the schedule gets easier again in Week 7-Week 9, and by then we’ll have a much better idea about Minnesota’s defense from a fantasy perspective.
Brad Berreman is a Columnist at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter or connect on Google +.
