NFL Fantasy Pick'ems for Vikings-Broncos on Sunday Night Football

Alright, I lied. The Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals AFC North showdown on Thursday night wasn’t the reprieve that we thought it would be from the one-sided primetime contests we’ve suffered through. Lesson learned. But that also means that we can’t make any promises about what to expect when the Denver Broncos host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football. Granted, the Broncos have looked better over their recent sample, but we can’t assume that Russell Wilson can maintain his improved efficiency against a tough Vikings defense. Don’t get us wrong, we’re here for all of it. But it might be hard to reverse the season-long trend of underwhelming primetime games.

This article will discuss 3-5 of my favorite pick’ems from various DFS sites like Betr, Sleeper Fantasy, PrizePicks, and Underdog Fantasy.

Don’t forget to leverage our simulations tool from our projections team to identify where the biggest edges are — and you can see more projection picks here.

Also, you can claim a $100 deposit match at Betr using Betr Picks promo code LABSMAX, and you can use Sleeper Fantasy promo code LABS1 for another $100 deposit match.

And check out our PrizePicks referral code or Underdog Fantasy promo code for more details.

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Vikings-Broncos NFL Fantasy Pick’ems

Alexander Mattison Higher 9.5 Rushing Attempts and 36.5 Rushing Yards

At the start of the season, Alexander Mattison was expected to be the lead rusher out of the Vikings backfield, taking over for the recently departed Dalvin Cook. Although Mattison has been the primary ball carrier, he hasn’t delivered game-changing performances as expected. Nevertheless, he will have ample opportunity to run the ball against the Broncos on Sunday night.

Running the ball has become a priority after Kirk Cousins’ season-ending Achilles injury. The Vikings have run the ball 32.3 times per game over the last three outings, a steep departure from what we saw from them prior to the injury. Before Cousins went down, Minnesota was churning out just 18.5 rushing attempts per game, but with its starting quarterback unavailable, that number has nearly doubled.

Mattison continues to get the lion’s share of touches for the Vikings. The former third-round pick has exceeded 11 carries in six of his 10 outings, averaging 46.1 rushing yards on 13.0 rushing attempts. Moreover, Mattison has eclipsed 16 carries in two of his last three, highlighting the Vikings’ increased emphasis on the ground game.

We see teams prioritize predicating their offense on setting up the rushing attack every week. That’s been of increased importance for the Vikings since Cousins went down. Look for them to turn to the ground game once again in Denver, giving Mattison most of the touches out of the backfield. He should have no problem exceeding 9.5 rushing attempts and 36.5 yards Sunday night.

Javonte Williams Lower 3.0 Receptions

As prefaced, running the ball is a fundamental part of most teams’ offenses. And that’s particularly true for the Broncos in the high altitude of the rockies. Year after year, we see unassuming ball carriers exceed expectations, thriving in the thin mountain air.

This year, we’re seeing everything Javonte Williams has to offer. The Broncos running back has amplified his production lately, totaling 164 yards on 48 carries over his last couple of outings. As much as he remains an integral part of the Broncos’ gameplanning, Williams doesn’t see the same workload in the passing attack.

Through eight games, Williams has totaled just 26 targets from Russell Wilson. Although he’s got a solid 80.8% catch rate, that only translates to 2.6 catches per game. Further, the Broncos are turning to Samaje Perine more frequetly, with the 28-year-old featuring more prominently in the passing game and playing more snaps than he had since Week 2.

Williams is the Broncos’ primary ball carrier; however, he’s not the priority in the passing game. Consequently, we’re expecting him to stay below 2.5 receptions against a stingy Vikings front seven.

T.J. Hockenson Lower 56.5 Receiving Yards

T.J. Hockenson has been a primary weapon for Kevin O’Connell in the Vikings’ gameplanning, but he’ll be hard-pressed to match last week’s stats against a sturdy Broncos D. The Vikings tight end set season-best marks in targets, receptions, and yards against the New Orleans Saints, but we’re not anticipating that same energy on Sunday Night Football.

Denver’s defense has been particularly effective against tight ends. Last week, Dalton Kincaid was held to 51 yards on five catches. The game before, Travis Kelce was contained to six receptions and 58 yards. Altogether, only one opposing tight end has exceeded 58 yards at Mile High Stadium so far this season.

Regression is inevitable for Hockenson following last week’s 134-yard effort. The 26-year-old averages half of that, going for 68.1 yards in 10 games this year. That’s going to make it hard for Hockenson to go over his receiving yards projection against a Broncos defense that has been effective at corralling tight ends. We’re betting Hockenson falls below 56.5 receiving yards under the lights Sunday night.

This article will discuss 3-5 of my favorite pick’ems from various DFS sites like Betr, Sleeper Fantasy, PrizePicks, and Underdog Fantasy.

Don’t forget to leverage our simulations tool from our projections team to identify where the biggest edges are — and you can see more projection picks here.

Also, you can claim a $100 deposit match at Betr using Betr Picks promo code LABSMAX, and you can use Sleeper Fantasy promo code LABS1 for another $100 deposit match.

And check out our PrizePicks referral code or Underdog Fantasy promo code for more details.