Week 14 vs. Detroit Lions
Kirk Cousins had another solid outing last week, finishing with 276 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He threw the ball 38 times, which tied a season-high, as Minnesota dealt with the absence of Dalvin Cook following his injury. Cousins has played well, scoring at least two touchdowns in seven of his last eight games. His production should continue this week as he faces a terrible Lions defense which has given up the third-most passing yards to quarterbacks. Based on his production and the matchup, Cousins should be viewed as a strong QB1 option in Week 14. He already put up QB1 numbers when he played the Lions earlier this season, finishing with his best game of the season: 338 yards, four touchdowns.
Week 13 at Seattle Seahawks
Kirk Cousins had to take over last week as Minnesota found itself down big early. He delivered with 319 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. It was his fourth 300-yard game and fourth game with at least three touchdowns this season. It was also his ninth game with no interceptions thrown. He gets a tougher task this week against the Seahawks, but Cousins has been too productive to avoid now. He should be viewed as a solid QB1 option for Week 13.
Week 11 vs. Denver Broncos
Kirk Cousins was OK last week, finishing with 220 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He was working without Adam Thielen, so those numbers weren't terrible considering the circumstances. He'll likely be without Thielen again this week in a tough matchup against the Broncos. Denver is allowing the third-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks, an average of 11.11 points per week. Cousins has been a strong option for most of the year, but without one of his top options against a tough defense, you should expect below-average numbers from Cousins. He's a safer choice than a lot of other quarterbacks, but there are other options likely available.
Week 10 at Dallas Cowboys
Kirk Cousins had another solid outing last week, finishing with 220 yards and three touchdowns. This was despite his strong WR duo of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs finishing with a combined one reception. But he may take a bit of a fall this week against the Cowboys as Dallas is allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. Cousins is also expected to be without Adam Thielen, which complicates things. Cousins should be viewed as a lower-end QB1 play in Week 10.
Week 9 at Kansas City Chiefs
Kirk Cousins didn't play poorly last week, but it was definitely a disappointing fantasy performance as he finished the game against Washington with no touchdowns. Despite the letdown, Cousins has still been a dominant quarterback for most of the season and he should play well this week against the Chiefs. Kansas City is allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and this game could be a shootout between two good offenses. Cousins should be viewed as a top 12 option in Week 9.
Week 8 vs. Washington Redskins
Kirk Cousins has put together three huge games in a row, finishing with over 300 passing yards in each. He's also had back-to-back games with four touchdown passes after throwing just five scores in his first five games. His hot streak should continue this week as he gets a great matchup against the Redskins. His value could go down a little bit if Adam Thielen is unable to play, but he should be a strong play regardless. He should be viewed as a QB1 option in Week 8.
Week 7 at Detroit Lions
Kirk Cousins scored below 20 fantasy points in his first four games of the season, but has kicked things into high gear these past two weeks. He's thrown for over 300 yards in back-to-back games while scoring six touchdowns in that span. His success could continue this week in a solid matchup against the Lions. Detroit is giving up an average of 18.10 fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Expect less production from Cousins than you've seen in the last two weeks, but he's not a bad choice. He's an average start in Week 7 vs. Detroit.
Week 6 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Kirk Cousins had easily his best game of the year last week, throwing for a season-high 306 yards with two touchdowns. The matchup was perfect for Cousins as the Giants' pass defense has struggled all year. Minnesota was able to balance both the run and pass, and could be a hopeful sign of things to come. This week he faces the Eagles who are allowing an average of 16.54 fantasy points to quarterbacks. You can likely expect a similar output from Cousins this week, making him a lower-end QB1 option.
Week 5 at New York Giants
Kirk Cousins has been so bad this season, Stefon Diggs is publicly upset with Minnesota. Cousins even had to apologize for being bad because he missed Adam Thielen so many times. Oddly enough all of this talk comes after statistically his best game of the season. He had season highs in passing yards (233), completions (27) and attempts (36). But he had no touchdown, and has now had no games with multiple passing touchdowns all season. Despite all of that, there's hope for a good game this week. Cousins gets a favorable matchup against the Giants who have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Cousins is an average QB option in most formats, but could be a cheap DFS pick in Week 5.
Week 4 at Chicago Bears
Once again, Kirk Cousins had a not-so-good game. He finished with 174 yards and one score in Week 3. He hasn't scored multiple passing touchdowns in any game this season, and game-high completion total is 15. In a league where quarterbacks have been dropping like flies, Cousins is still just 28th in the league in pass completions this season. So on a base level, Cousins isn't a great play. Then when you combine that with the fact he plays against the Bears this week (Chicago is allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points to QBs) you get a bad fantasy quarterback. Stay away from Cousins in Week 4.
