Adam Thielen took a huge step in 2017 and became a top fantasy wide receiver. Can he duplicate the same type of success in 2018?
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen made a lot of people look like geniuses last season, from the Vikings’ front office to fantasy football players who drafted him entering the 2017 season.
Thielen caught the eye of both groups towards the end of the 2016 season, with a team-leading 967 yards and five touchdowns which was good for second on the team. The Vikings’ front office rewarded Thielen for his success in 2016 with a four-year, $19.2 million contract before the start of the 2017 season. Thielen then went out and made the front office and fantasy football fans proud with a spectacular 2017 season. Thielen led the Vikings with 91 catches for 1,276 yards and four touchdowns which was good for third on the team.
Now we enter the 2018 season and there is a belief that Thielen could put up even bigger numbers this season. As a fantasy football player, there are a few things to consider before drafting a player, especially at wide receiver. Who is the quarterback? Who are the other offensive weapons? And who is the offensive coordinator?
Good news fantasy football fans, Thielen has all the resources needed to have a great season in fantasy football.
The Minnesota Vikings made the biggest splash in free agency this offseason, signing former Washington Redskins’ quarterback Kirk Cousins to a three-year, $84 million contract. Thielen had some high praise for the new signal caller and believes Cousins is on the right track to having a phenomenal 2018, according to an article by Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports.
Some of the other weapons Cousins has at his disposal this season are running back Dalvin Cook, who is working his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered early in the 2017 regular season, wide receiver Stefon Diggs (849 yards, eight touchdowns), and tight end Kyle Rudolph (532 yards, eight touchdowns). Now, some fantasy football fans might assume that Thielen’s numbers might dip a little bit because of the other offensive weapons but I think otherwise.
Defenses are going to have to pick their poison in who they double team when they go up against arguably the league’s best wide receiver duo in Thielen and Diggs. Also, Cousins loves his tight ends. Look at his numbers throwing to Jordan Reed in Washington. So linebackers will have to somehow stop Rudolph in the middle of the field. Cook has had no setbacks so far in his recovery from tearing his ACL and he is primed to provide a spark in the running game.
After Pat Shurmur took the New York Giants head coach position, the Vikings found a great replacement in former Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. DeFilippo was an integral part in the Eagles winning the Super Bowl and will bring that championship experience to the team his Eagles beat in the NFC Championship game. The Eagles had a lot of mouths to feed but he helped keep everyone happy in 2017.
Bottom line, Thielen has everything it takes to become a top fantasy wide receiver in 2018 and fantasy football players should target Thielen early in their drafts entering this season.
