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Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday in the NFL's opening week. It is a big-time matchup that plenty of Fantasy Football players will be keeping a close eye on. In addition to Cousins, there are plenty of other huge names to watch.
Among those names are Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Devonta Freeman, and Dalvin Cook. All of those players are nearly locks to start in Fantasy Football lineups. One of the most intriguing quarterbacks in the fantasy world this season is Cousins, who has been known for inconsistency at times.
Last season, Cousins was unable to lead the Vikings to the playoffs. He completed 70.1 percent of his pass attempts for 4,298 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Cousins also ended up scoring a touchdown on the ground.
Looking ahead to this season, the expectations are high and the pressure is even higher. Minnesota is expecting big numbers from their well-paid quarterback and he has the weapons to be one of the most productive quarterbacks in the NFL. Now, it's time for him to show the Vikings that they were right for the investment the franchise made in him.
All of that being said, what should Fantasy Football players be expecting from Cousins this week against the Falcons?
Quite frankly, he should have a relatively favorable matchup. Both of these teams have high-powered offenses, which could turn things into a shootout. Atlanta doesn't have a “bad” defense, but they also don't have a great defense.
Add in the fact that Cousins has targets like Thielen, Diggs, Kyle Rudolph, Irv Smith Jr., and even Cook out of the backfield, and everything lines up for a big game. Also, Cousins is more than capable of rising up against outside pressure, which is exactly what he has been facing from the media this offseason.
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Cousins has never been known for having a huge arm, but he is normally accurate. His decision-making has been an issue at times, but for the most part he is a solid all-around quarterback. He has shown flashes of stardom, but the inconsistencies must be fixed in order for him to reach that star category.
Predicting a stat line for a player is always a difficult task. Minnesota boasts one of the league's highest-power offense, which should translate into a big line for Cousins this week.
Fantasy Football players should be expecting something like 300 yards and three touchdowns from the Vikings' quarterback this week. An interception may be reasonable to expect as well. Atlanta has enough playmakers on their defense that they could put pressure on Cousins and capitalize on a mistake or two.
Minnesota feels very good about their chances to get back into the playoffs this season. In order to do so, they are going to need a better version of Cousins than he has shown over the last few years, even before his time in Minnesota.
Expect to see Cousins open up the season looking to prove a point. He will attack Atlanta early and often and will come through with a big performance, which will make Fantasy Football players very happy for starting him.
