The Minnesota Vikings got a bit of a throwback performance from quarterback Matt Cassel in Week 4. The backup QB was strong in place of the injured Christian Ponder. Cassel finished the game against the Steelers with 248 yards and two touchdowns on 64 percent passing. The Vikings announced Cassel as the starter earlier in the week with Christian Ponder dealing with a rib injury.
Matt Cassel strong performance raises fantasy waiver wire implications
Matt Cassel put together a strong, efficient performance as the Vikings’ Week 4 quarterback. We break down the fantasy implications.
Jamie McDonald
Cassel benefited greatly from Adrian Peterson's 140-yard performance, but he took advantage of his opportunities. He focused his attention on wide receiver Jerome Simpson, targeting him 11 times. He targeted Greg Jennings four times and then split his remaining 10 targets between seven players.
Fantasy impact: Cassel looked sharp, but with the Vikings heading into a Week 5 bye, there are significant questions about their quarterback plans. If they did not have a bye, they might have been able to justify one more week of Cassel starting to let Ponder get healthy. The bye week means Ponder should be healthy heading into Week 6. If that is the case, do the Vikings go with the far more effective Cassel?
Cassel is unlikely to be a huge waiver wire pickup this week given the Vikings’ bye. That being said, if you are in a deeper league, or a two-QB league, he could be worth stashing until we know the Vikings’ plans after the bye.
