Fantasy football advice for Falcons-Vikings Week 12

The Vikings are one of the toughest defenses the Falcons have yet faced, and this is a game I think the Falcons are likely to lose. Even so, there are fantasy performers to roll with from the Falcons, and a couple of very notable ones from Minnesota.

Start

QB Matt Ryan

The picks hurt, but he put up a pretty solid fantasy performance against the Colts. The sledding is tougher against Minny, but Ryan's a good bet for 250 yards and a couple of touchdowns, making him a solid enough choice.

RB Adrian Peterson

I'm bullish on the Falcons' chances of slowing Peterson, but he's very likely to score and has a real chance at 100-plus yards, even so. He's just too talented to contain entirely, and with a so-so passing game, Minnesota is going to lean on him.

RB Tevin Coleman

His two fumbles have been back-breaking, but he's got the talent to explode, and the Falcons will have to rely on him unless Devonta Freeman has a faster-than-expected recovery in him. I think it's only a matter of time until we see Coleman's first big game, even if he's not overtaking Freeman any time soon.

WR Julio Jones

He's unreal. End of story.

TE Kyle Rudolph

Call it a gut feeling, but if Bridgewater's throwing a touchdown, it's probably going to Rudolph. That makes him a fine TE play in a league thirsty for better options.

Falcons Defense

Even though I think Atlanta's probably losing this one, their defense is a sneaky-good play this week. They have the talent to keep Peterson from running amok and the Vikings' passing game has been nothing to write home about in 2015, so it's worth giving them a shot.

Vikings Defense

Similarly, Minnesota's defense makes for a decent play against a Falcons team that may be missing Devonta Freeman and hasn't managed more than 21 points in five weeks.

Sit

QB Teddy Bridgewater

Thanks to Joe Flacco's injury and some very poor planning on my part, I'll be forced to start Teddy Bridgewater in a keeper league this weekend. You shouldn't, because while he's a fine real life game manager with the potential to get much better, Bridgewater is not really a fantasy asset.

All Atlanta Receiving Options Not Named Julio

Roddy got 24 yards on nine targets a week ago, Leonard Hankerson is the very definition of unreliable thus far in 2015, and Jacob Tamme absolutely disappeared a week ago against a team with worse safeties and linebackers than Minnesota. Don't bother.

WR Stefon Diggs

The Falcons have been pretty stingy with opposing wide receivers of late, and while Diggs is this team's best receiving option, I don't anticipate he's going to have a huge game.