The Worksheet, a comprehensive fantasy football preview by Rich Hribar, breaks down everything you need to know about the Vikings vs. Lions Week 8 matchup.
Find a breakdown of every Week 8 NFL game in our Worksheet Hub.
| Minnesota | Rank | @ | Detroit | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 | Spread | -3.5 | ||
| 21.5 | Implied Total | 25.0 | ||
| 20.8 | 23 | Points/Gm | 30.7 | 2 |
| 12.3 | 1 | Points All./Gm | 27.5 | 26 |
| 60.5 | 20 | Plays/Gm | 66.3 | 4 |
| 56.7 | 2 | Opp. Plays/Gm | 70.7 | 32 |
| 4.7 | 27 | Off. Yards/Play | 6.0 | 5 |
| 4.5 | 2 | Def. Yards/Play | 5.5 | 21 |
| 49.9% | 2 | Rush% | 41.0% | 21 |
| 50.1% | 31 | Pass% | 59.1% | 12 |
| 41.5% | 13 | Opp. Rush % | 34.2% | 1 |
| 58.5% | 20 | Opp. Pass % | 65.8% | 32 |
- Games involving Detroit average 58.23 combined points per game, 2nd in the league.
- Games involving Minnesota average 33.2 combined points per game, the fewest in the league.
- The Vikings lead the league in defensive EPA (66.3).
- The Lions are 31st (-65.8).
- Detroit is second in EPA on offense (58.3).
- Minnesota is 31st (-53.6).
- The Vikings have allowed a touchdown on a league-low 9.5% of opponent drives.
- Detroit has allowed a touchdown on a league-high 34.4% of opponent possessions.
- The Vikings have allowed 47.25 fewer points than their opponents' implied totals this season, the fewest in the league. No team has hit their implied total in a game against them yet this season.
- 74.6% of Detroit's first downs (or touchdowns) have come on early downs, the league's highest rate.
- 55.8% of Minnesota's first downs (or touchdowns) have come on early downs, the league's lowest rate.
- Minnesota ranks last in early-down success on offense (29.2%), while Detroit ranks first (50%).
- Detroit is allowing a league-high 5.7 plays per game of 20 or more yards.
- The Vikings allow 2.3 plays per game of 20-plus yards, 3rd in the league.
- The Lions have turned the ball over on 4.8% of their possessions, 3rd in the league.
- The Vikings have turned the ball over on 6.2% of their possessions, 4th in the league.
Trust = spike production for that player
Vikings vs. Lions Fantasy Quarterback Preview
Jared Goff
Goff is second among quarterbacks in fantasy points per game (22.2) entering Week 8.
He is QB3 in passing points per dropback (0.53), completing 67.3% of his passes (7th) for 8.0 yards per pass attempt (7th) and a 6.3% touchdown rate (4th).
We've been looking forward to this matchup since the start of the season.
The Vikings have been the premier defense this season.
They are allowing 6.9 passing points per game, the fewest in the league.
They have allowed a league-low 53.9% completion rate, 6.1 yards per pass attempt (3rd), and a league-low 1.7% touchdown rate.
The Vikings have allowed 3 passing touchdowns this season, and only 1 over their past five games.
We fully respect their defense because they have done what you would expect a great defense to do with this schedule.
The Vikings have faced Daniel Jones, Tyler Shough, Malik Willis, and Baker Mayfield in their last four games.
They did mush the Bears in Week 2, but poor weather makes that game an asterisk.
This will be their toughest test yet.
I am still putting a tax on Goff this week and will treat him more as a QB2 than as a ceiling play.
In the six matchups between Goff and Flores, he has two QB1 scoring weeks, but also three weeks as QB22 or lower.
Goff's biggest success in this matchup came when Ben Johnson called the plays.
With Johnson, the Lions scored 30 points in all four matchups against Minnesota.
Minnesota won both of the games between these teams last season.
In their last meeting, Goff was QB32 (2.1 fantasy points), completing 18 of 29 passes (62.15) for 197 yards (6.8 Y/A), with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.
Goff fared better in Detroit last year, closing that week as the QB13 (19.4 points) and completing 25 of 37 passes (67.6%) for 284 yards (7.7 Y/A) and 2 touchdowns.
The Lions scored 24 points at home versus Minnesota last year, but only 10 points on the road.
The Vikings sacked Goff 5 times in both meetings, pressuring him on 41.2% and 42.9% of his dropbacks.
They “only” blitzed Goff 33.3% of the time in the first matchup in Detroit but then blitzed him 58.8% of the time in the Week 17 rematch.
Overall, in the six meetings, Flores has blitzed Goff 57% of the time.
Last year was the first time it was a real problem.
In the two matchups last year, Goff was 15 of 30 (50%) for 5.0 Y/A when Minnesota blitzed, throwing zero touchdowns and zero interceptions.
When pressured, he was 13 of 22 (59.1%) for 7.1 Y/A with no touchdowns and an interception.
When Goff had a clean pocket in those games, he was 30 of 44 (68.2%) for 7.4 Y/A, with 3 touchdowns and an interception.
Goff has only been pressured on 31.7% of his dropbacks this season (7th lowest).
If you are looking for a potential Achilles heel here, the Vikings have allowed 8.5 yards per pass attempt on play-action passes this season (26th).
On play-action passes this season, Goff is posting 9.7 yards per attempt (2nd).
Kyler Murray
Coming out of the bye last week, I wanted to see what adjustments Minnesota made now that Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson are all healthy.
Murray finished as the QB18 (13.9 points), completing 14 of 24 passes (58.3%) for 150 yards (6.2 Y/A) and 1 touchdown against a Colts defense missing Sauce Gardner.
Murray added 39 yards rushing to boost his QB2 afternoon.
Murray threw between the numbers at a 16.7% rate in Week 7, the lowest rate in the league.
Murray is averaging 6.5 yards per pass attempt (22nd) with a 2.4% touchdown rate (31st).
Only Cam Ward (1.9%) and Daniel Jones (1.7%) have lower touchdown rates.
17.9% of his dropbacks have resulted in losing 1.0 EPA or worse (24th).
This is while facing the Dolphins, Saints, and Colts in his past three starts.
I will dabble with Murray in DFS, but that makes it hard to trust Murray as more than a matchup-based QB2 in managed leagues, betting on the matchup and potential push Minnesota can get for the first time since Week 1.
Detroit has allowed a league-high 22.2 passing points per game.
The fewest number of points they have allowed in a game was last week to Jordan Love (17.0).
The Lions have been more efficient as a pass defense the past two games.
They allowed 6.2 yards per pass attempt and a 61.7% completion rate to Jacoby Brissett in Week 5 and then 6.1 Y/A and a 60% completion rate to Love on Sunday.
But they still allowed Brissett to throw 3 touchdowns and Love 2.
Detroit has allowed multiple touchdown passes in every game this season.
The Lions also coax out passing volume.
They face a league-high 48.0 dropbacks per game.
That can pad passing stats and create more scramble opportunities.
Murray is scrambling on 9.9% of his dropbacks, the league's fourth-highest rate.
Vikings vs. Lions Fantasy Running Back Preview
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More Week 8 Fantasy Breakdowns From The Worksheet:
| Week 8 NFL Games | Time |
|---|---|
| Panthers @ Packers | Thursday Night Football |
| Ravens @ Bills | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Vikings @ Lions | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Falcons @ Buccaneers | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Colts @ Jaguars | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Titans @ Bengals | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Cardinals @ Cowboys | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Raiders @ Jets | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Browns @ Steelers | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Chargers @ Rams | Sunday -- 4:05 p.m. ET |
| Chiefs @ Broncos | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Patriots @ Dolphins | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Eagles @ Commanders | Sunday Night Football |
| Bears @ Seahawks | Monday Night Football |
