Week 7 Fantasy Football: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings

Jeremy Alpert

Oct 23, 2011

Week 7 Matchup: Green Bay Packers (6-0) at Minnesota Vikings (1-5)

Rankings based on top 26 QBs, 50 RBs, 75 WRs and 30 TEs

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Green Bay Packers

Opponent Defensive Ranks

Minnesota Rush Defense—2011: 83.5 Yards Allowed/Game (Fourth) || 5 TDs Allowed (T-17th)

Minnesota Pass Defense—2011: 270 Yards Allowed/Game (24th) || 8 TDs Allowed (T-12th)

Green Bay Offensive Cast

Aaron Rodgers (QB Week 7 Ranking: No. 1)

2011 Season: 146-for-208 for 2,031 yards, 17 TDs and three INTs || 27 carries for 67 yards and two TDs

Plainly put, the man cannot be stopped.

If he’s not throwing a perfect pass to a teammate striding into the end zone, then his receivers are making moves on their own to get there. On the rare occasion his receivers aren’t getting open, then he’s doing it with his own two feet.

There’s just no way to stop Aaron Rodgers and this Green Bay offense. No way at all.

If anyone thinks he won’t do it again this Sunday, consider that over the past two seasons, Rodgers has thrown for 11 TDs while averaging 317 yards a game in four games against these Vikings.

James Starks (RB Week 7 Ranking: No. 28)

2011 Season: 70 carries for 299 yards and one TD || 15 receptions for 113 yards and 0 TDs

Ryan Grant (RB Week 7 Ranking: No. 32)

2011 Season: 48 carries for 200 yards and 0 TDs || Seven receptions for 52 yards and 0 TDs

John Kuhn (RB Week 7 Ranking: No. 50)

2011 Season: Six carries for 10 yards and two TDs || Six receptions for 32 yards and 0 TDs

Greg Jennings (WR Week 7 Ranking: No. 2)

2011 Season: 35 recs for 530 yards and four TDs

Greg Jennings has been one of the top five most consistent wide receivers in the game this year and will continue to dominate this weekend in Minnesota.

In his last four games against the Vikings, Jennings has grabbed five touchdown passes while putting up an average of almost six catches for 84.5 yards a game.

Playing indoors against a team that can stop the run as well as the Minnesota front seven can, you know Rodgers will be slinging the ball all over the place…which likely means a really big day for his favorite target.

Jordy Nelson (WR Week 7 Ranking: No. 10)

2011 Season: 20 receptions for 413 yards and four TDs

Nelson hasn’t caught a ton of balls yet this season, but the ones that do fall into his hands, he makes them count.

His yards per catch this season is kind of ridiculous at 20.7 YPC (third in the NFL) while of his 20 receptions so far, four have been taken to the house.

Aaron Rodgers loves to pass the ball all over the Vikings and will do so again this Sunday with Minnesota’s rush D being as good as it is, so count on Jordy seeing a good seven or so targets with decent yardage and probably a TD coming out of them.

James Jones (WR Week 7 Ranking: No. 24)

2011 Season: 15 receptions for 263 yards and three TDs

Randall Cobb (WR Week 7 Ranking: No. 60)

2011 Season: Nine receptions for 174 yards and one TD

Donald Driver (WR Week 7 Ranking: No. 55)

2011 Season: 12 receptions for 101 yards and two TDs

Jermichael Finley (TE Week 7 Ranking: No. 2)

2011 Season: 23 receptions for 321 yards and three TDs

I wouldn’t blame you if you were a bit down on Finley at this point with his putting up over 10 fantasy points just once in six games this season, but don’t fret too much.

The Vikings may have held opposing tight ends out of the end zone so far in 2011, but they’ve also allowed the most receptions in the league to them, so something eventually has to give.

Gates and Pettigrew respectively had eight and 11 catches against them earlier in the season, so I expect Finley to come out and grab a somewhat similar number of balls while ending their tight end scoreless streak as well. Just watch.

Minnesota Vikings

Opponent Defensive Ranks

Green Bay Rush Defense—2011: 84.0 Yards Allowed/Game (Fifth) || Two TDs Allowed (T-Fifth)

Green Bay Pass Defense—2011: 300 Yards Allowed/Game (31st) || 10 TDs Allowed (T-22nd)

Minnesota Offensive Cast

Christian Ponder (QB Week 7 Ranking: No. 25)

2011 Season: 9-for-17 for 99 yards, 0 TDs and 0 INTs

You can’t do much worse than what McNabb was doing for the Vikings this year so yes, it was time for a change. However, I’m not so sure Ponder wanted it to be this game for him to show the team what he’s got.

Your first professional game has enough pressure as is, but add in that it will be a home game in front of family and friends against an inter-division rival, against the defending Super Bowl champs, against the only undefeated team left in the NFL and you’re basically looking at an ulcer before the coin flip.

Luckily, the Packers pass D hasn’t fared too well this season, but you can be sure they’ll be rushing the heck out of Ponder and giving him crazy defensive looks all game. Sit him on your bench for now and hope he doesn’t die before Week 8.

Donovan McNabb (QB Week 7 Ranking: Not Ranked)

2011 Season: 94-for-156 for 1,026 yards, four TDs and two INTs

In obvious decline at 34 years old, McNabb was lucky just to get an opportunity to start/play for Minnesota, so don’t feel bad for ‘ol McNasty. He had himself a great career and could be considered a borderline Hall of Fame QB when all is said and done.

Adrian Peterson (RB Week 7 Ranking: No. 8)

2011 Season: 122 carries for 537 yards and seven TDs || 10 receptions for 49 yards and 0 TDs

There are a few reasons why Peterson is ranked all the way down at No. 9 this week. First of all, Green Bay has a real nasty rush D. One of the best in the league for sure as they’ve allowed the fourth fewest fantasy points and just one TD to opposing RBs this season.Second, the Packers usually get up in the game so quickly (as they will again this week) that their opponents need to turn to the passing game much sooner than they would like. Third, the Pack CAN be passed on, so teams usually go that route anyway. Fourth, the Vikings will be starting a rookie QB, so you can bet the farm Green Bay will be focusing most of their attention on AP28.

There are still reasons to believe he’ll be okay, however, as Purple Jesus has averaged over 100 yards a game against them throughout his career and rushed for a TD in five of their last six matchups, so he must know something the rest of the league doesn’t know. Either that or he’s just that good.

Toby Gerhart (RB Week 7 Ranking: Not Ranked)

2011 Season: 11 carries for 70 yards and 0 TDs || Four receptions for 54 yards and 0 TDs

Percy Harvin (WR Week 7 Ranking: No. 26)

2011 Season: 25 receptions for 261 yards & 0 TDs || 14 carries for 158 yards and 0 TDs

Michael Jenkins (WR Week 7 Ranking: No. 61)

2011 Season: 24 receptions for 221 yards and two TDs

Devin Aromashodu (WR Week 7 Ranking: Not Ranked)

2011 Season: Four receptions for 120 yards and one TD

Bernard Berrian (WR Week 7 Ranking: Not Ranked)

2011 Season: Seven receptions for 91 yards and 0 TDs

Visanthe Shiancoe (TE Week 7 Ranking: No. 20)

2011 Season: 16 receptions for 159 yards and one TD