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Fantasy Player Projections

 
Minnesota Vikings
Vikings at Patriots
Gillette Stadium | Sunday, October 31 | 4:15 p.m. EST (FOX)
Pick: Patriots 17, Vikings 10
 New England Patriots
Vikings
Pos.PlayerProjection
QBBrett Favre
200 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 2 INT
Favre is playing later in the afternoon on Sunday, so if there's any question about his ankle heading into the first slate of games you will probably want to leave him on the bench. After last week's performance, that's not a bad idea anyway.
RBAdrian Peterson
110 rush yards
Peterson should remain in your lineup anyway, but he may see even more touches if Brett Favre should miss Sunday's game with two fractures in his ankle.
WRRandy Moss
4 rec, 75 yards, 1 TD
Moss has yet to have the monster performance that many have come to expect from him. With a gimpy Brett Favre being the best-case scenario for his fantasy value, Moss' stock is certainly down, but there's still plenty of upside, especially against a weak Pats' secondary.
WRPercy Harvin
3 rec, 45 yards
Nobody has benefited from Randy Moss' move to Minnesota as much as Harvin. With the former seeing plenty of double coverage, Harvin has been running free through opposing secondaries. Expect him to see more attention from now on.
TEVisanthe Shiancoe
4 rec, 50 yards
Shiancoe has just six receptions in the last four weeks, with the addition of Randy Moss seemingly hindering his fantasy value. Should Tavaris Jackson start in place of Brett Favre (ankle), Shiancoe could see more targets as a safety valve.
KRyan Longwell
1 PAT, 1 FG
That's the problem with projecting fantasy value onto kickers. Players like Longwell, good kickers backed by solid offenses, can be useless without some luck. Longwell has just five field-goal attempts on the season.
Defense
2 sacks, 1 INT
The Vikings' defense is ranked 13th overall in yards allowed per game, which is decent when you consider that they have had to face New Orleans, Dallas and Green Bay. Still, you should be able to find a better defensive matchup than this one.
Patriots
Pos.PlayerProjection
QBTom Brady
130 pass yards, 1 pass TD
Brady isn't used to sub 200-yard outings, but he now has two in his last three outings. Even if Randy Moss wasn't catching the ball, he at least opened things up for the rest of the receiving corps. Brady should be played on a per-matchup basis.
RBBenJarvus Green-Ellis
30 rush yards
Green-Ellis scored a touchdown in his fourth straight game, but ceded eight carries to Danny Woodhead. Green-Ellis' role is slowly diminishing, and will take a big hit once Fred Taylor (toe) is ready to return.
RBDanny Woodhead
2 rec, 20 rec yards, 20 rush yards
Brady isn't used to sub 200-yard outings, but he now has two in his last three outings. Even if Randy Moss wasn't catching the ball, he at least opened things up for the rest of the receiving corps. Brady should be played on a per-matchup basis.
WRDeion Branch
3 rec, 30 yards
Hernandez averages 59.2 yards receiving per game, but has yet to find pay dirt. Meanwhile, Rob Gronkowski has just nine receptions on the season, but three of them have been for scores. The latter looks like the preferred red-zone option.
WRWes Welker
4 rec, 30 yards
Welker had just four receptions for 25 yards last week in his worst output of the season. He's well off the 123-receptinon pace he set last season, but he still has plenty of value in PPR leagues.
TEAaron Hernandez
3 rec, 50 yards, 1 TD
Hernandez averages 59.2 yards receiving per game, but has yet to find pay dirt. Meanwhile, Rob Gronkowski has just nine receptions on the season, but three of them have been for scores. The latter looks like the preferred red-zone option.
KStephen Gostkowski
2 PATs, 1 FG
Gostkowski has hit nine straight field goals in his last four games, and looks like a consistent starting fantasy option moving forward.
Defense
2 sacks, 2 INT
If Brett Favre (ankle) sits on Sunday, a much-maligned Patriots secondary would catch a big break. Still, Adrian Peterson presents a tough matchup even for a team that's giving up just 3.8 yards per carry against the run.
 
 
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