With a per-game average of 19.0 to 22.8 Fantasy points in each of his five seasons in Minnesota, Cousins is as close to a safe-floor quarterback you can find. However, he may be able to reach his ceiling in 2023. It's his second year with head coach and playcaller Kevin O'Connell, who dialed up a career-high 643 pass attempts in 2022. It's his fourth year with all-world wideout Justin Jefferson and his first full season with both tight end T.J. Hockenson and rookie speedster Jordan Addison. If Cousins can maintain his throwing efficiency from last year with a better receiving corps, he should improve his stats, including his low 4.63 yards after catch per completion and 4.5% TD rate, both outside of the top 15 among qualified QBs. Because he's not popular, he'll be a bargain on Draft Day as the 12th-to-15th QB off the board. That means he's an easy late-round pick in one-QB formats and a sensational top-30 pick in Superflex/two-QB formats.
Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Undergoes successful surgery
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Cousins announced Wednesday via social media that he underwent successful surgery to repair his torn right Achilles' tendon.
Cousins is already on the road to recovery after having suffered a season-ending Achilles tear during Sunday's win over the Packers. According to The Athletic, full healing of an Achilles' tendon typically takes about 4-to-6 months, and given his age, the 35-year-old quarterback could need more time beyond that period before he's cleared for high-impact football activities. In any case, Cousins should have a chance at being ready to go when NFL training camps open next July, but as a pending unrestricted free agent, it remains to be seen whether he'll stick around in Minnesota or land elsewhere. For the immediate future, the Vikings will turn to rookie fifth-round pick Jaren Hall to replace Cousins as their starting quarterback Week 9 at Atlanta. The Vikings also acquired a more experienced quarterback in Joshua Dobbs from the Cardinals on Tuesday, giving the team an alternative under center if Hall doesn't prove to be NFL ready.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Goes to IR
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The Vikings placed Cousins (Achilles) on injured reserve Tuesday.
The transaction is merely a formality, as an MRI confirmed Monday that Cousins suffered a torn right Achilles' tendon in Sunday's win over Green Bay, ending the quarterback's season. According to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell added that Cousins is slated to undergo surgery later this week, but assuming the 35-year-old has no complications with his procedure, he could be ready for full football activities when NFL training camps open next July. Since Cousins is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, it's unclear whether he'll return to Minnesota for a seventh season or explore his options elsewhere. Rookie fifth-round pick Jaren Hall appears set to make his first NFL start in Cousins' stead Week 9 at Atlanta, but Minnesota acquired a more experienced signal-caller in Joshua Dobbs from Arizona on Tuesday and could turn the offense over to him at some point in the second half of the season if Hall struggles.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Achilles tear confirmed
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The Vikings announced Monday that Cousins will miss the rest of the season after an MRI confirmed that he tore his right Achilles' tendon in Sunday's win over the Packers.
The news come as little surprise, as multiple reports suggested that Cousins suffered an Achilles tear shortly after he exited in the fourth quarter with the injury. A timeline and details for Cousins' surgery will be determined later this week, but the 35-year-old will be done for the season and may not be guaranteed to be back to 100 percent health for NFL training camps next summer. Jaren Hall replaced Cousins late in Sunday's game, but the Vikings haven't determined whether the rookie fifth-round pick will start Week 9 at Atlanta. Cousins, meanwhile, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: May have Achilles tear
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Cousins suffered an apparent torn Achilles during Sunday's 24-10 win at Green Bay, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Cousins limped to the sideline with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter unable to put any weight on his right foot and was quickly ruled out. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Cousins is slated for an MRI to determine the exact nature of the injury, but if the expected diagnosis is confirmed, he'll miss the remainder of the campaign. With Nick Mullens (back) needing to remain on injured reserve for at last one more game, rookie fifth-round pick Jaren Hall could be in line for his first career start next Sunday in Atlanta.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Exits with ankle injury
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Cousins won't return to Sunday's game against the Packers after exiting in the fourth quarter with an apparent right ankle injury.
Cousins hobbled off the field with 10:30 remaining in the game and didn't appear to be putting any weight on his right foot after he was taken down by Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark on a third-down play. He headed to the Vikings' medical tent on the sideline for evaluation before being quickly carted to the locker room and ruled out for the day. He'll finish the Week 8 contest with 23 completions on 31 attempts for 274 yards and two touchdowns to go with nine rushing yards on two carries. Jaren Hall will replace Cousins as the Vikings' quarterback and could be in line for playing time if Cousins' injury is serious enough to keep him out of Minnesota's Week 9 game versus the Falcons.
If you start Cousins, you're hoping he throws a ton of passes and somehow comes up with two touchdowns and maybe even 300 yards. That's possible, but he's catching the Packers at a time when their defense has been playing up to par and is getting fresh bodies back. The Packers are also desperate for victories after losing two straight to the Raiders and Broncos, though neither loss could be hung on the defense. I'd much rather start Jared Goff, but I would trust Cousins over Dak Prescott if only because his passing volume gives him a chance at some decent Fantasy numbers.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: QBs to Start
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Cousins is coming off a strong game against San Francisco with 25.0 Fantasy points, and he has scored at least 23.9 points in four of his past six games. Now, his bad outings over that span have come on the road (13.6 Fantasy points at Carolina in Week 4 and 10.7 points at Chicago in Week 6), but he also attempted 31 passes or less in each of those contests. We want Cousins throwing the ball a lot (his best games this season have been at 44 pass attempts or more), and hopefully that happens at Green Bay. The Packers have allowed just one quarterback to score more than 16.5 Fantasy points this season, which was Desmond Ridder in Week 2 with 23.4 points. But I like Cousins to stay hot in this matchup on the road, and he remains a top-10 Fantasy quarterback for Week 8.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Standout performance in upset win
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Cousins completed 35 of 45 passes for 378 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the Vikings' 22-17 win over the 49ers on Monday night. He also netted minus-1 yard on two rushes.
After a lackluster showing in his first game without Justin Jefferson (hamstring, IR) in Week 6 against the Bears, Cousins exploded for one of the best performances of his career considering the caliber of matchup. The veteran averaged a robust 8.4 yards per attempt while displaying particularly impressive chemistry with rookie Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson. The duo finished on the receiving end of 18 of Cousins' completions and compiled 209 yards in the process. Meanwhile, Addison secured both of Cousins' scoring tosses, which came from 20 and 60 yards out. Cousins' passing yardage total was his highest of the campaign and qualified as his fourth 300-yard effort as well, and his ability to thrive without Jefferson certainly raises his fantasy prospects going into a Week 8 road matchup against the Packers.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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I don't think we know what to expect yet from Cousins without Justin Jefferson (hamstring) since the Vikings didn't need Jefferson to beat the Bears 19-13 in Week 6. Cousins attempted just 31 passes at Chicago and scored only 10.7 Fantasy points, which is his lowest total this season. But he's now scored fewer than 14 Fantasy points in two of his past three games, and he could have another down outing against the 49ers in Week 7. Joshua Dobbs in Week 4 is the lone quarterback with more than 15.9 Fantasy points against San Francisco. And the 49ers have more interceptions (10) than touchdowns allowed to quarterbacks (five) in 2023. I still consider Cousins a strong starter in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues, but this should be a rough outing for him against the 49ers.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Modest showing sans Jefferson
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Cousins completed 21 of 31 passes for 181 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the Vikings' 19-13 win over the Bears on Sunday. He also rushed twice for minus-5 yards and committed two fumbles, losing one.
Cousins unsurprisingly bore little resemblance to the prolific performer he's often been with Justin Jefferson (IR-hamstring) available, but the veteran signal-caller was able to do just enough to help the Vikings squeeze out a close victory. In Jefferson's absence, Cousins spread the ball around to six different targets, and his fumble on a late second-quarter sack didn't lead to any Bears points. Cousins will likely acclimate to Jefferson's absence a bit more by the week, but he'll draw an unenviable matchup against the 49ers in a Monday night Week 7 home showdown on Oct. 23.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Expected to stick with Vikings
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Cousins is expected to remain with the Vikings for the rest of the 2023 season, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Cousins is not expected to waive his full no-trade clause, so even if the Vikings wanted to move him it may not be possible. Speculation has been abound about his future with the team, as he is in the final year of his current contract and Minnesota is 1-4 entering Week 6 -- three games out of first place. Adding in the absence of Justin Jefferson (hamstring), it's starting to look like a longshot for the team to make a run at the postseason. Nevertheless, Cousins appears set to play out his contract in Minnesota.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: QBs to Start
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Cousins lost Justin Jefferson (hamstring) for at least the next four games after he was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, but Cousins should still be considered a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback against Chicago in Week 6. He has enough weapons in T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn to score well against the Bears, who allow the most Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks at 27.2 Fantasy points per game. All five quarterbacks against Chicago have scored at least 20.4 Fantasy points, including Jordan Love, Baker Mayfield, Russell Wilson and Sam Howell. Cousins only has one game this year with fewer than 20.5 Fantasy points, and he's scored at least 21.6 Fantasy points in four of his past six games against the Bears going back to 2020.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Tosses two TDs in Sunday's loss
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Cousins completed 29 of 47 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 27-20 loss to Kansas City.
Despite playing the fourth quarter without Justin Jefferson (hamstring), Cousins still tossed multiple TDs for the fifth straight game to begin the season, hitting rookie Jordan Addison for a five-yard strike just before halftime before finding Alexander Mattison on a nine-yard screen early in the fourth. Cousins very nearly connected with Mattison for another TD and what would have been the tying score late in the game, but the running back dropped the pass. Jefferson's status for Week 6 against the Bears is still up in the air, and his availability could have a big impact on the QB's chances of extending his streak of productive games.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Top DFS Play
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Cousins finally had a stinker in Week 4, which you would expect to mean lower roster rate and price. But he's at home against the Chiefs in the game with the highest total on the slate. For the third straight week he's projected as a top-three QB for me, and even after last week's debacle he ranks at QB3, behind only Josh Allen and Justin Herbert for the season.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: QBs to Start
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Cousins had his first game this season with fewer than 20 Fantasy points in Week 4 at Carolina, but prior to that he scored at least 31.7 points in each of his previous two outings against the Eagles and Chargers. He should rebound against the Chiefs with the Vikings likely chasing points, and I like Cousins as a potential top-five quarterback in Week 5. Zach Wilson in Week 4 is the lone quarterback to top 20-plus Fantasy points against Kansas City this year, but Cousins should pile up stats this week in garbage time.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Poor performance in win
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Cousins completed 13 of 19 passes for 139 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in Sunday's 21-13 win over the Panthers.
Cousins got off to a brutal start, having an interception returned 99 yards for a touchdown during the first quarter. Although he threw another pick prior to halftime, Cousins at least found star wideout Justin Jefferson for touchdowns from four and 30 yards. After topping 340 yards in each of the first three weeks, Cousins' season-low output Sunday nonetheless didn't prevent Minnesota from winning its first game.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Top DFS Play
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Cousins is the No. 1 QB in Fantasy and for the second week in a row he's the No. 1 QB in my projections. He's still not priced as one of the top options, so I'm going to keep riding him in cash games. The way his defense is playing, 40 pass attempts seems like a near lock.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Another admirable effort in loss
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Cousins completed 32 of 50 passes for 367 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 28-24 loss to the Chargers.
Cousins reached 50 pass attempts in a game for the sixth time in his career, with Sunday's game marking his second-lowest yardage total in those contests. Nevertheless, it was a good performance that was highlighted by long touchdown strikes of 52 and 36 yards and also included four additional completions of greater than 20 yards. Though the Vikings are 0-3, Cousins has multiple passing scores and has topped 340 yards in all three games to this point.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: QBs to Start
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Cousins is on pace for 6,018 passing yards, which is insane. He won't keep this up, but he's been great so far in two games this season against Tampa Bay and Philadelphia with 708 passing yards, six touchdowns and one interception. This week, he's facing a Chargers defense that has already allowed 712 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception against Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Tannehill, and the projected score for this matchup is the highest of the week at 54 points. Look for a shootout between Cousins and Justin Herbert in Minnesota on Sunday.
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Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Top DFS Play
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When someone in Cousins' price range comes out as QB1 overall in the projections, the only choice for me is to just play him everywhere. At home, great matchup, huge implied total, elite weapons ... and a middling price tag.
