Minnesota

Vikings

Oliver caught a 32-yard score from Cam Akers on a trick play in the first half. He nearly got in the paint a second time with a catch at the goal line, but the blocking tight end couldn’t muscle his way into the end zone. Oliver doesn’t have more than two catches in a game this year, though he does have two touchdowns. He is more of a nuisance for T.J. Hockenson drafters than a standalone fantasy asset.

You read that correctly. Akers’ only touch of the day was a trick play that saw him throw a dime to backup tight end Josh Oliver for a touchdown. When talking about the play call, Kevin O’Connell mentioned scouting Akers coming out of college during his days with the Rams. Akers went 5-of-8 for 97 yards as a passer at Florida State. There’s no fantasy value to be had for Akers, but we’re happy for him.

Hockenson earned a respectable target share of 18 percent but was held under 50 yards for the fifth time this year. He has just one touchdown and one game over 10 PPR points. Hockenson isn’t commanding targets or generating chunk gains. His role in the red zone is also modest at best. Hockenson will fall into the TE2 ranks when he returns to face the Eagles after Minnesota’s upcoming bye week.

Jordan Mason committed a first-quarter fumble that paved the way for Scott to see an uptick in touches. He was the team’s top back on the following drive, though it didn’t last long. Scott gave up a fumble of his own in the second half and didn’t touch the ball once on the team’s final three drives. With the Vikings on bye in Week 6, fantasy managers can cut ties with Scott on the next run of waivers.

As Wide Left’s Arif Hasan notes, O’Connell didn’t explicitly commit to J.J. McCarthy as the starter. If the Vikings are to be believed, McCarthy should be the presumed starter once he is fully recovered from his ankle injury. O’Connell, however, didn’t take the opportunity to confirm McCarthy as the QB1. Wentz is 2-1 as the starter and, despite making his fair share of mistakes, has thoroughly outplayed McCarthy through five games. O’Connell will use the Vikings’ Week 6 bye to choose between winning now with Wentz or playing for the future by developing McCarthy on the fly. We suspect Wentz will draw the start versus Philly in Week 7.

It was a rollercoaster day for the former 49er. Mason had a fumble-six overturned last week but made sure his opponent got the ball this time around with a lost fumble on Minnesota’s opening drive. Zavier Scott was the team’s top running back on the next drive, but he coughed up a fumble of his own later in the game and did not touch the ball once on the Vikings’ final three drives. Mason also briefly left the game with an injury but didn’t miss much time. Aaron Jones will be on injured reserve for one more game after the team’s Week 6 bye, meaning Mason will once again dominate the carries in Week 7. In a tough matchup with the Eagles, Mason will rank as a low-end RB2.

Wentz struggled in the first half once again. He got just seven points on the board and left early with an injury after a reckless scramble caused some discomfort in his left shoulder. He returned for the start of the second half and started to settle in. In need of at least a field goal to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, Wentz marched the Vikings down the field and delivered a perfectly thrown pass to Jordan Addison, leading him into the end zone for a game-winning score. Wentz is now 2-1 as the Vikings’ starter. He has been far from perfect, but it’s hard to argue for J.J. McCarthy to reclaim the starting job coming out of the Vikings’ Week 6 bye. Wentz will be a low-end QB2 if he draws the start in Week 7 versus Philly.

Addison did not take the field for either of the Vikings’ first two drives of the game. Kevin O’Connell told reporters after the game that Addison was benched for missing a walk-through during the week. He started to get some reps in the second quarter and was seemingly back to a relatively normal role after halftime. Addison made good on his opportunities in the second half. He reeled in a perfectly-placed end zone shot from Carson Wentz with just seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter to take the lead over Cleveland. The incredible pitch and catch ultimately won Minnesota the ball game. We will presumably get more info on why Addison was benched later this week, but the issue appears to have been handled internally. Addison will be back in the WR3 ranks when his team returns to face the Eagles after their Week 6 bye.

Jefferson now has 75, 126, and 123 yards in three Carson Wentz starts. Wentz hasn’t had the cleanest runout as a Viking, but he has more than enough arm talent to rifle intermediate and deep shots to his No. 1 receiver. Jefferson, in turn, has done his best to corral some of Wentz’s errant passes, allowing both to thrive in the absence of J.J. McCarthy. It’s too early to say who will be the team’s starting quarterback when the Vikings return from their Week 6 bye, but fantasy managers will be begging for Wentz to keep the job. Assuming he does, Jefferson will remain at the top of the WR1 ranks when he faces the Eagles in Week 7.

Wentz lowered his shoulder into Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger late in the second quarter and injured his left shoulder. He went to the locker room for X-rays and was listed as questionable to return. He was back on the field for the start of the second half. Expect a conservative approach from Kevin O’Connell for the remainder of this game as he attempts to protect his quarterback from the Browns’ pass-rush and himself.