Teddy Bridgewater's Updated Fantasy Outlook After Matt Cassel's Injury

The Teddy Bridgewater era in Minnesota has begun. Just not quite in the way anyone expected or hoped.

Vikings quarterback Matt Cassel was carted off the field and did not return to Sunday's 20-9 loss to the New Orleans Saints fracturing "several" bones in his foot, per NFL Network's Albert Breer:

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

Bridgewater took over midway through a 10-play, 51-yard drive that produced a Blair Walsh field goal. The former Louisville star completed his first three professional passes for 46 yards and scrambled for 11 on the drive, looking comfortable in the pocket against the struggling New Orleans defense. 

The auspicious start turned out to be a little misleading, as Bridgewater and the Minnesota offense stalled out in the second half. He led another field-goal drive to begin the third quarter but the Vikings went scoreless for the final 25-plus minutes.

Bridgewater finished the game 12-of-20 for 150 yards without a touchdown or interception. He added 27 yards on six carries.

The most important aspect here is Cassel's injury. Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer did not waver all week in keeping Cassel as the starter after last week's 30-7 shellacking from the New England Patriots. Cassel threw four interceptions and fumbled once against his old team, as fans at TCF Bank Stadium began smattering the field with boos.

"And I also said I wasn't going to have a quick hook," Zimmer told reporters. "Matt needs to play better. It's pretty obvious he needs to play better. We all need to play better. I need to coach better."

Cassel's injury leaves open the possibility he'll not see the field again in 2014. The Vikings have no choice but to give Bridgewater the reins for the time being, and one has a difficult time seeing them taking him off the field—even if he's not performing well. 

Bridgewater, who was considered a contender for the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft before inexplicably falling to No. 32, sure looked ready for the challenge in the preseason. He threw for 283 yards and five touchdowns without an interception in 49 attempts, good for a 111.2 quarterback rating.

It's worth noting that it was the preseason and his throws came mostly against second-string defenses. That still wasn't stopping anyone in Minneapolis, who got a full dose of Cassel's typically shrug-worthy play last season, from clamoring to start the youngster. An injury gives Zimmer the perfect excuse to start playing for the future.

From a fantasy perspective, Bridgewater is only ownable in keeper or dynasty formats. He's not going to have much value in standard leagues. The Vikings are dealing with a load of inexperience in their backfield, with Matt Asiata already having taken over as the primary running back.

Asiata's struggles the past two weeks mean there's going to be a ton of responsibility put on Bridgewater's shoulders. Despite the rash of above-average quarterback play from rookies in recent seasons, they're rarely as productive from a fantasy standpoint. Robert Griffin III and Cam Newton stand out as the exceptions that prove the rule.

The top end of Bridgewater's value is a QB2 in two-quarterback leagues and a bye-week filler for stars. Even if the names Philip Rivers, Tony Romo and Jay Cutler don't make anyone swoon, they remain better options from a fantasy perspective.

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