The Week 14 matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals features two well-rounded teams with playoff aspirations. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Fantasy football projections, Week 14: Vikings-Cardinals featuring Adrian Peterson, Carson Palmer and David Johnson
We break down the Week 14 matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals.
Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson posted an absolute dud against the Seattle Seahawks last week but it wasn’t all his fault. Peterson rushed for just 18 yards on eight carries and only saw three carries in the second half of the game. Coach Mike Zimmer seemed content to go with a different game plan. Peterson isn’t happy and the last time he was dissatisfied, the two had a meeting. That was back in Week 11. The next week against the Atlanta Falcons, Peterson rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. A star player like him complaining usually means he gets the ball fed to him in the next game. Expect Peterson to see a high-volume and produce despite playing against a solid Cardinals defense on the road in Week 14.
Peterson is going to have to be a huge factor in Arizona this week if the Vikings hope to come out of the desert victorious. That’s especially true in light of the fact that wide receiver Stefon Diggs has gone quiet the last few weeks. He’s been held under 50 yards receiving in four of the last five games after looking like a premier pass catcher in his first three career NFL starts. Diggs is trending downward right now and he faces a solid Cardinals secondary unit. A big-time performance from him would surprise a lot of people this week.
Arizona Cardinals
Running back David Johnson was one of the hottest pickups on the waiver wire going into the team’s game last week against the St. Louis Rams and he delivered. Johnson saw 24 touches in the contest and managed to rack up 120 total yards and a receiving touchdown. It’s obvious that coach Bruce Arians is going to use him as the team’s go-to rusher during the fantasy postseason. Although the Vikings post a solid defense, Johnson should be able to capitalize on regular action and still put up numbers in Week 14.
If Johnson struggles for whatever reason, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will have to pick up the slack. He’s been limited in practice lately with an ankle injury but should be ready to go against the Vikings. Fitzgerald has put together quite a comeback season for himself but his yardage total has dropped in each of the last three games. The good news is he’s seen double-digit numbers in targets in each of the last five contests so in PPR leagues, the numbers will be there for those that start Fitzgerald against the Vikings.
