Kirk Cousins

Fantasy Upside
Kirk Cousins completed 349-of-516 passes for 4,265 yards (8.3 Y/A) with 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season. He also rushed for 156 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries (4.9 Y/A. Cousins finished as QB11 in fantasy points per game. He really started to tear it up down the stretch, putting up 292.22 yards per game with 23 touchdowns and three interceptions in his last nine games. The Vikings used their first-rounder on tackle Christian Darrisaw, so their offensive line should be better. Cousins is armed with strong weapons with running back Dalvin Cook, wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, as well as tight end Irv Smith Jr. There’s a chance that he can continue to play at the high level that he showed in the second half of last season and finish in the Top-10 fantasy quarterbacks. If Cook were forced to miss time, the Vikings would likely air it out more often, which could also help Cousins hit his ceiling.

Fantasy Downside
Cousins averaged 32.25 pass attempts per game last season. While it’s an increase from 2019’s average of 29.6 pass attempts per game, this offense still revolves around Dalvin Cook. Cousins will have to maintain a high efficiency in order to finish among the Top-12 quarterbacks. The downside here is that the Vikings' defense should be improved with the return of edge rusher Danielle Hunter and the addition of cornerback Patrick Peterson. Mike Zimmer is too good of a defensive coach to allow last season’s production to happen again. This would mean more favorable game scripts for a run-heavy approach, which is bad news for Cousins. Third-round rookie quarterback Kellen Mond is also knocking on the door. If Cousins should struggle and the Vikings get off to a really slow start, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see Mond see some action, which would obviously be the worst-case scenario.

Bottom Line
Cousins is currently being drafted as QB19 (152.3 ADP) in Underdog fantasy leagues. While he should be able to provide value at this draft cost, Cousins is still a floor pick with a narrow range of outcomes. This isn’t a quarterback who will break out and provide Top-7 fantasy value. He also doesn’t provide much on the ground, which causes fantasy players to gravitate towards more high-upside passers like Daniel Jones if they wait on a quarterback. Cousins fits it on your roster if you decide to take this approach, as his floor would help balance your roster nicely with an upside pick like Jones.