Week 4 vs. New York Giants
Stefon Diggs blew up the first two week,s before a disappointing 40-yard performance on four catches in Week 3. If you own Diggs, you have to know these types of games are coming.
He could bounce back this week against a banged-up Giants secondary. He's such a talented receiver that it's tough to keep him down for too long. He should be viewed as a strong WR2 play heading into this game.
Week 3 at Carolina
Heading in to Week 3, Stefon Diggs was second in the NFL in receptions and first in receiving yards. This is not something many people expected considering the Vikings' run-first approach on offense. But with Adrian Peterson struggling (now hurt), Minnesota had to do something on offense, so they threw to their talented receiver.
While Diggs has blown up these first two games, and will likely continue to do so, Week 3 may not be his best week. He goes up against a tough Panthers defense that's allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to wideouts.
We're not advising benching Diggs, but his value takes a bit of a hit this week, and he should be viewed as a WR2 option.
Week 2 vs. Green Bay
Stefon Diggs balled out in Week 1 with seven receptions for 103 yards on a team-high nine targets. He had nearly half of Shaun Hill's passing stats, which just furthers the obvious truth that Diggs is the only fantasy relevant receiver in Minnesota.
Diggs is a special talent, but Minnesota relies so much on the ground that the opportunities for him to make plays can be rare. But if he continues to get nine targets, then he should perform better than the second half of his rookie season.
This week, we like Diggs as a WR3 in a game that could be high scoring against the Packers. Green Bay's offense could put up enough points to force Minnesota to end up throwing the ball, which benefits Diggs the most.
Stefon Diggs - Week 1 vs. Titans
Stefon Diggs had a strong debut last season before he fell victim to Minnesota's offense. There's no denying Diggs' talent, but Minnesota doesn't pass the ball enough to take full advantage of it, and making matters worse is that Shaun Hill is expected to start this week.
On other teams, Diggs might be a strong WR2 play this week in a favorable matchup against the Titans. But because Hill is under center, and because the Vikings are so run-heavy, we expect Diggs to be a low-end WR3 play this week.
Fantasy Upside
The Vikings took a while to let Stefon Diggs loose as a rookie last season, but he came out with a bang -- catching 25 passes for 419 yards in his first four games. He played a big role the rest of the season for Minnesota, finishing with 52 receptions (fourth best among rookies) for 720 yards (second best among rookies).
He's now taken another step forward heading into his sophomore campaign, and will open as the team's No. 1 wideout. He's a great possession receiver, which will give him a boost in PPR formats.
Fantasy Downside
After Diggs' hot start, his numbers cooled off in a big way. A lot of that falls on Minnesota's offense, which leans heavily on the run. The Vikings had the fewest pass attempts per game, which leaves very little room for receptions.
Making things a little more complicated is the addition of rookie receiver Laquon Treadwell, who will fight for targets in the offense as well.
Bottom Line
Diggs is a great talent, but the offense he's in will impact his ability to produce. He's a low-end WR3 at best, but will most likely end up being a WR4 option.
Week 17 vs. Green Bay
Stefon Diggs is a talented player, but his talents are somewhat wasted in Minnesota. The Vikings rely on their running game more than their passing game, and that often leads to low stats for the rookie receiver.
He'll draw a decent matchup against the Packers this week. He was fairly effective against them earlier this season (6-66) and could have a similar performance. He should be viewed as a WR3 play.
Week 16 vs. New York Giants
Rookie Stefon Diggs finally broke through and showed us some of what we saw earlier in the season. He had a good fantasy outing, catching two touchdown on three receptions (55 yards). We'd like to see more than three receptions, but we'll take what we can get.
Diggs will look to continue his production in a favorable matchup against the Giants this week. The G-Men have been awful against the pass, especially in recent weeks. It's likely Diggs can make something happen. He should be viewed as a WR2 or WR3 play this week.
Week 15 vs. Chicago
Stefon Diggs was exciting for a while, but now it's just sad to see what's happened to him. Minnesota's passing offense is almost nonexistent, and Diggs has suffered as a result. He's still the top receiving threat for the Vikings, but that doesn't mean a whole lot.
He gets a good matchup this week against the Bears, a team he had a 6-95-1 outing against earlier in the year. But don't look at that and expect to see the same production. Diggs is nothing more than a WR3 play.
Week 14 at Arizona
Everything was lined up for Stefon Diggs to get back on track last week. The Vikings were down, Adrian Peterson only had eight carries, but the rookie wideout continued his struggles en route to a 2-22 performance. Diggs exploded onto the scene, averaging over 100 yards in his first four games. In the five games since, he's averaged just over 40 yards. Expect his struggles to continue this week in a tough matchup against Arizona. He should be seen as nothing more than a WR3.
Kyle Rudolph vs. Seattle
Stefon Diggs' numbers will continue to be low as long as Minnestoa's offense revolves around Adrian Peterson. Diggs is a very talented receiver, but the Vikings just aren't airing it out enough for Diggs to make an impact. On top of that, Diggs gets a tough matchup against Richard Sherman and the Seahawks' secondary this week. He's nothing more than a low-end WR3 or WR4.
