The Vikings are 0-2, but if not for some sloppy errors (most notably, 6 lost fumbles) they might be 2-0.
This looks like a choice spot for their offense, at home against a Chargers defense that’s been ridiculously leaky, allowing 36 and 27 points in its first two games. Only 10 teams allowed more points last year, and it looks like they’re going to have the same issues. The odds indicate a pick ‘em type game, with an over-under of 54.5 points – a touchdown higher than any other game. … Alexander Mattison has sputtered thus far, running for under 35 yards in both games and averaging only 3.3 per attempt. But he’s got a chance to get some traction here.
The Chargers are struggling defensively, and they’ll be more concerned with shoring up their pass-defense issues. They ranked 28th against the run last year. If you’ve got Mattison, the general recommendation is to stick with him this week. The Chargers have allowed 20 rushing touchdowns in their last 19 games. … Kirk Cousins is looking like a top-5 quarterback this week. He can sling it, and the Chargers can’t seem to get their pass defense sorted out. They let Tua Tagovailoa pass for 466 yards in Week 1, and they let struggling Ryan Tannehill go for 246 yards last week, with a touchdown run and a touchdown pass.
The Chargers aren’t getting enough out of their high-priced defensive players (J.C. Jackson, Khalil Mack, Derwin James). Cousins is shredding it pretty good anyway, with 344 and 364 yards in his first two games, with 6 TDs. … Justin Jefferson looks like the favorite to lead the league in receiving in Week 3. He’s in top form right now, with 150-plus yards in both games and Los Angeles has been clueless defensively.
The Chargers tried to leave Tyreek Hill in single coverage often in Week 1, with him going for 215 yards. … This looks like a great week to use Jordan Addison. He might not be that much different than K.J. Osborn (who’s on the field for a few more plays) but Addison has more ability to get downfield for big plays. He’s caught 62- and 39-yard touchdowns in his first two games. And the Chargers have had problems with busted coverages. Treylon Burks and Chris Moore had 70- and 49-yard receptions against them Sunday. Decent chance Addison hits on something again. … With Cousins probably throwing for 320-plus yards again, T.J. Hockenson is a contender to be the most productive tight end. He’s a big part of their offense, as evidenced by 7 catches and 2 TDs last week. And Hockenson has been doing it all along. In his 11 games with the Vikings last year, he averaged 6.4 catches for 59 yards. Just 3 TDs in those 11 games, but the 2 scoring catches last week make him look more likely to get a decent number of touches in the red zone. …
With this looking like a game dominated by touchdowns, we’re putting a middle-of-the-pack grade on Greg Joseph. He’s scored only 5 and 4 points in the first two weeks. But there definitely will be some scoring, and the Chargers have allowed 3 and 2 field goals in their first two games. … The Vikings' Defense looks like a lesser unit. Justin Herbert has taken 3 sacks in both games but with no turnovers. He’s typically a poor matchup for defenses. In 51 career starts, he’s taken only 107 sacks, with 35 picks. The Vikings have 5 sacks in their first two (making 2-3 sacks look likely) but with just one takeaway.
This report is just a small snippet of the Week 3 edition of Fantasy Index Weekly, part of the In-Season Analyst package. The newsletter includes our player rankings and 20-plus pages of matchup previews, plus stat projections and custom rankings for the games being played this weekend.
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