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The Minnesota Vikings may be the hottest team in the NFL. Fantasy football owners are feeling it.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski seems to have pushed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a new level of play, the run game is the best in the league and their receivers, well, they are downright nasty.
Stefon Diggs has recovered from his slow start, and Adam Thielen has stayed hot since Week 1. In Week 9's matchup between the Vikings and the Kansas City Chiefs, it's Thielen who will have the big game, if, of course, he is healthy from his hamstring injury.
The first point in Thielen's favor is the state of the Chiefs' defense. Kansas City has allowed a generous 377 yards per game. Meanwhile, the Vikings offense, as of late, has been unstoppable.
Cousins passed for 1,262 yards in October alone. During that span, Thielen only played two full games and about a quarter of another. In those games, he recorded 212 yards and four scores. The connection between the two is clear, and it shouldn't stop when the Vikings face another middling defensive unit.
While it may seem counter-intuitive, the run game will be a massive benefit to Thielen. The Chiefs currently rank as the 30th best rush defense in the league. The Vikings are ranked as the best rushing offense in the entire NFL. If Kansas City wants a shot at winning this game, their priority will be shutting down running back Dalvin Cook.
Attempting to stop the run means eight men in the box, in turn, lots of single coverage for both Thielen and Diggs. To make things even better, the Vikings are incredible using play-action. With the Chiefs likely stacking the box to stop the run, play-action becomes even better. It virtually ensures that Thielen will have plus matchups on every snap of the game.
One primary concern that always arises with Vikings receivers is the target share. With both Diggs and Thielen on the same team, how can you be sure that one will succeed over the other? The simple answer is that both of them can be leaned on. Diggs is absorbing 24% of Minnesota's targets while Thielen takes 22%. Both shares are healthy and can be counted on every week.
There isn't a better wide receiver matchup in fantasy football for Week 9. With a bye week taking both Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, and Cooper Kupp off the board, Chris Godwin is the only competition for WR1.
Godwin is facing the Seattle Seahawks, who are a half-decent defense. Though Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston remains extremely unreliable on a week-to-week basis. Therefore, it's clear that Thielen should be considered the best fantasy receiver of the week. There's no reason that Thielen should be anywhere but in your lineup for Week 9.
