The Minnesota Vikings acquired quarterback Sam Bradford from the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday in exchange for a 2017 first-round pick and 2018 fourth-round pick, and the move stands to bolster the stocks of several key fantasy contributors in the weeks and months ahead.
Although the Vikings’ fantasy outlook was a bit bleak after Teddy Bridgewater went down for the season with a torn ACL and dislocated knee, Bradford’s arrival should help spark the team’s passing game once he gets acclimated to the new system.
So as the Vikings prepare for a Week 1 showdown with the Tennessee Titans, here’s a look at how Bradford, running back Adrian Peterson and Stefon Diggs should be valued.
Sam Bradford’s Outlook
Bradford was nothing more than a backup fantasy quarterback in Philadelphia considering the unproven state of the team’s receiving corps, so his stock should get a slight boost now that he resides in Minnesota.
Although none of the Vikings’ primary targets are superstars, Diggs, Charles Johnson, tight end Kyle Rudolph and rookie Laquon Treadwell should give Bradford enough weapons to keep his production at or above his backup-caliber numbers from a year ago.
During his final season with Chip Kelly in Philadelphia, Bradford completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,725 yards, 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Improving upon that touchdown-to-interception ratio would make him a more appealing bye week plug-and-play option in standard leagues or a legitimate consideration in two-quarterback leagues, but for now, it’s best to take a wait-and-see approach.
Adrian Peterson’s Outlook
One of the main reasons Bradford’s stock shouldn’t trend too high is because of Peterson’s presence.
The Vikings offense has long been predicated around their workhorse, and that shouldn’t change now that Bradford is in the fold.
In fact, during Bradford’s acclimation process, it stands to reason that the Vikings could lean even more heavily on Peterson because they want to take pressure off of their new signal-caller and slowly transition him to life in offensive coordinator Norv Turner‘s scheme.
In other words, Peterson should continue to be valued as a top-tier fantasy tailback who can anchor teams on a week-to-week basis thanks to the high volume of carries he’s guaranteed in Minnesota’s backfield.
Stefon Diggs’ Outlook
If there’s one beneficiary of Bradford’s arrival worth highlighting, it’s Diggs.
The receiver’s stock dipped when Bridgewater was ruled out for the season and backup Shaun Hill was briefly elevated to starter, but Bradford should be able to feed him the ball at a relatively steady clip.
Yahoo Sports’ Brad Evans was among those bullish on Diggs’ fantasy prospects with Bradford under center:
The primary reason for optimism has to do with Diggs’ rookie performance.
During the 2015 season, he posted 52 catches for 720 yards and four touchdowns, and he notched those numbers during a season in which the Vikings ranked 31st in average passing yards per game (183.0).
With the steady Bradford under center and Peterson serving as the focal point of defensive game plans, Diggs should be freed up to run free through opposing secondaries and approach the 1,000-yard threshold.
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