Thursday fantasy open thread: Which Lions-Vikings player will outperform their projections?

Injuries are starting to add up for the Detroit Lions, which means that the team is going to find itself in catch-up mode during most second halves. This is great for fantasy football players, as it suggests high output for opposing teams early on and then plenty of garbage time opportunities for the Lions offense.

That could be the case again Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. Though the home team is just 1-3, Detroit has still yet to prove it can play a complete game, especially on the defensive side. The Vikings have been close in their losses and could end up with a solid win this weekend. Reminder, the below scoring includes 6pt TDs and 0.5 PPR:

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Which Lions-Vikings player will outperform their projections?

• D’Andre Swift (14.4 pts): 44 rush yd, 4.8 rec, 40 rec yd, 0.6 TD
• Kalif Raymond (7.7 pts): 3.2 rec, 49 rec yd, 0.2 TD
• Kirk Cousins (23.5 pts): 287 pass yd, 2.2 TD, 0.6 Int
• Justin Jefferson (15.8 pts): 6.0 rec, 92 rec yd, 0.6 TD

My answer: Over 90 yards is a high projection for a receiver, but Justin Jefferson is already proving that his rookie season was no fluke. The sophomore has scored in three straight games and again finds himself among the top 10 receivers. Projections are clearly optimistic about the Vikings passing game this weekend and I am too.

Like Jefferson, the models are lofty for Kirk Cousins at 23.5 fantasy points, but this does not seem unattainable against the Lions defense. The more interesting question revolves around D’Andre Swift, who was allegedly going to be a bigger focal point for the offense but had a very modest outing against the Bears. Someone needs to step up for Detroit, and Swift remains the best bet.

Your turn.