Week 13 at Lions
Kirk Cousins had another solid outing last week, completing 62.5% of his passes for 238 yards with two touchdowns and one interception against a tough 49ers defense. Cousins now has 3,013 passing yards (7.4 Y/A) with 23 touchdowns and three interceptions. He remains the most underrated quarterback in fantasy football.
Cousins takes on a Lions defense that ranks 10th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game, but that's partly due to limited volume. The Lions are still giving up 8.25 yards per attempt, which is last in the NFL. While there's risk that the Vikings get up by multiple scores and go run-heavy, you have to love the spot for Cousins.
Week 12 at 49ers
Kirk Cousins got it done in a tough matchup against the Packers last week, throwing for 341 yards (9.7 yards per attempt) and three touchdowns. He continues to be one of the most underrated quarterbacks in fantasy football, currently ranked as QB10 in fantasy points per game.
Cousins goes up against a 49ers defense that ranks 15th in Schedule-Adjusted Fantasy Points per Game. San Francisco is rolling right now, dominating time of possession with their running game. This makes Cousins more of a risky play this week because there's a chance that he sees limited volume.
Week 11 vs. Packers
Kirk Cousins is in a tough spot this week against one of the most underrated defenses in the NFL. In the last three weeks, the Packers have limited Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, and Russell Wilson to complete a combined 62-of-110 (56.4%) of their passes for 601 yards (5.46 Y/A) with one touchdown and four interceptions.
The Packers rank 7th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, so it's tough to rely on Cousins as a streamer in this spot, especially in a game where the Vikings could try to go run-heavy to keep Aaron Rodgers and company off the field. I'd look elsewhere this week.
Week 10 at Chargers
Kirk Cousins is coming off a solid performance against the Ravens, completing 17-of-28 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown, allowing him to finish as QB6 for the week. Cousins now has four Top-6 finishes on the season, making him a viable streamer in good game environments like this one. This game projects as a high-scoring affair, as it has a 53-point total.
Cousins goes up against a Chargers defense that ranks 3rd in aFPA to quarterbacks. Los Angeles really struggles to stop the run, ranking 32nd in rush DVOA, so there's some risk that Minnesota goes with a run-heavy approach, capping Cousins' upside. Having said that, I'd still feel comfortable firing him up as a streamer in this potential shootout.
Week 9 at Ravens
Kirk Cousins is coming off a dud against the Cowboys where he completed 23-of-35 passes for 184 yards (5.3 Y/A) and one touchdown. However, we have seen him show a nice ceiling on a few occasions this season: QB13 in Week 1, QB6 in Week 2, QB6 in Week 3, and QB2 in Week 6. This looks like a bounce-back spot in a potential shootout.
Cousins takes on a Ravens defense that ranks 17th in aFPA to quarterbacks. There's a good chance that Cousins will have to air it out with the Vikings as 5.5-point underdogs in this game, which increases the chances that we'll see him approach his ceiling. Cousins looks like an appealing streamer this week.
Week 8 vs. Cowboys
Cousins is coming off an impressive performance against a tough Panthers' pass defense, completing 33-of-48 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns. He's currently QB10 in fantasy points per game, establishing himself as one of the most underrated quarterbacks in fantasy football.
Cousins goes up against a Cowboys defense that ranks 14th in aFPA to quarterbacks, but this is a terrific game environment as a projected shootout with a 53.5-point total, which is the highest on the slate. Cousins looks like one of the best streamers of the week in this spot. Fire him up with confidence.
Week 6 at Panthers
Cousins has finished as QB21 and QB27 in his last two games, as the Vikings have been limited to only 26 combined points. However, he played solid against the Lions, completing 73.5% of his passes for 275 yards (8.1 yards per attempt). His fantasy output was suppressed by lack of touchdowns, as he only finished with one, along with an interception.
Cousins has another tough matchup against a Panthers defense that ranks 13th in aFPA to quarterbacks and 2nd in pass DVOA. This defense has been much better at home, limiting the Saints, Eagles, and Jets to only 42 combined points. This game has a 46-point total, which fifth-lowest on the slate, making it a projected low-scoring game. Cousins isn't a viable streamer in this spot.
Week 5 vs. Lions
Cousins finally had a down week against a tough Browns defense, completing 20-of-38 passes (52.6%) for 203 yards (5.3 Y/A) with one touchdown and one interception. Prior to this game, he had finished as QB13, QB6, and QB6, so we need to chalk it up as a tough matchup and keep him in the circle of trust for this upcoming matchup.
Cousins takes on a Lions defense that ranks 15th in aFPA, but they're 30th in pass DVOA while giving up 10.59 yards per attempt. He should be able to bounce back in this game with a 49-point total, so we could see some fireworks. We can consider Cousins as a streamer with upside in this cupcake matchup.
Week 4 vs. Browns
Cousins just keeps chugging along, finishing as QB13, QB6, and QB6 so far this season. The Vikings have finally moved away from their run-heavy approach, as Cousins is averaging over 40 pass attempts per game. As long as he's seeing that type of volume, we have to consider him a Top-12 option, especially in projected shootouts like this game against the Browns.
Cousins goes up against a Browns defense that ranks 23rd in aFPA, so this is another good matchup for the veteran quarterback. If Dalvin Cook is forced to miss another game, we could see Cousins continue to thrive as the Vikings try to take advantage of this pass-funnel Browns defense. Cousins has a path to a Top-10 finish in this exploitable matchup.
Week 3 vs. Seahawks
Cousins has gotten off to a solid start this season, putting up 595 passing yards with five touchdowns. He's finished as QB13 and QB6 in fantasy points, boosted by an uptick in volume with an average of 40.5 pass attempts and 297.5 passing yards per game. You have to love the fact that the Vikings are airing it out more so far this season. They're currently passing on 60% of their plays in neutral game scripts, which is tied for the 10th-highest rate in the NFL. This bodes well for Cousins' outlook going forward.
Cousins takes on a Seahawks defense that has been a pass-funnel so far, allowing 78 attempts in two games, which is the eighth-highest in the NFL. This game is a projected shootout with a 55.5-point total, so there will be plenty of opportunities for Cousins to build on his strong start. Cousins looks like a strong streamer against the Seahawks this week. The only risk is that the Vikings find success on the ground and go back to their run-heavy ways, but you have to like the way Cousins is playing right now.
