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Vikings fantasy football: Start Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs in Week 11 and beyond

The Vikings draw the ninth-ranked Rams pass defense this week, and that shouldn't stop Diggs or Thielen from taking a place in your starting lineup.

November 16, 2017 at 5:27PM

FILE - At left, in a Sept. 11, 2017, file photo, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) catches a touchdown pass in front of a New Orleans Saints defender during an NFL football game, in Minneapolis. At right, in a Sept. 24,2017, file photo, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen catches a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in Minneapolis. The Vikings have been hit by the injury bug again, at quarterback and running back. But they've still got a valuable asset in the ever-improving pass-catching tandem of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. They're on track to give the Vikings a pair of 1,000-yard receivers, a milestone unmet since 2009. (AP Photo/File) (Mike Nelson/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

With a tough matchup coming against Los Angeles Rams' ninth-ranked pass defense, some fantasy football owners might think about benching Adam Thielen or Stefon Diggs.

Let me stop you right there.

Don't.

These two Vikings wide receivers are among the NFL's best – as a duo or individually, when healthy; sorry Stefon – and that applies to fantasy, too.

Take a look at the numbers:

(STOP READING NOW IF NUMBERS SCARE YOU)

In six of nine games this season Thielen has produced 10 or more points in PPR leagues and five times he's produced nine or more points in standard leagues.

In four of seven games Diggs has scored 10-plus points in PPR and nine-plus points in standard.

Thielen is averaging 9.8 points per game in standard and 16.1 in PPR, while Diggs is averaging 11.4 in standard and 15.8 in PPR.

For comparison, the top two receivers in fantasy football this season have been Antonio Brown and DeAndre Hopkins.

Brown has scored 10-plus points in PPR in six of nine games and nine-plus points in standard in five of nine games. Hopkins has scored 10 or more points in PPR in eight of nine games and nine or more points in standard scoring in five of nine games.

Hopkins is averaging 14.3 points per game in standard and 20.7 in PPR, while Brown is averaging 11.8 points per game in standard and 18.5 in PPR.

That duo has separated itself from the pack, with no receiver this season within 22 points of them in PPR and 17 points in standard (except A.J. Green).

But there's Thielen as the third-highest scoring wide receiver in PPR (144.5, trailing Brown's 166.2) and No. 5 in standard (88.5, trailing Brown's 106.2).

And as the per-game points show, Diggs trails but is nipping on the heels of Brown and Hopkins.

(NON-NUMBERS PEOPLE, JUMP BACK IN)

Mike Zimmer said Case Keenum will start again in Week 11.

For those clamoring for Teddy Bridgewater, I point you toward colleague Chip Scoggins, who wrote about Keenum, "If he continues to play well, he's the guy. If he starts to struggle, make the switch to Bridgewater.

"Is it really that tough of a decision?"

Well said.

As colleague Michael Rand notes, Thielen is 207 yards away from becoming Minnesota's first 1,000-yard receiver since Sidney Rice in 2009. He is 207 yards short of that benchmark with seven games to play. He's third in the NFL in receiving yards (793), tied for seventh in receptions (56) and tied for first with Brown for most receptions of 20 yards or more (14).

Most of that came with Keenum under center.

It's working.

And the result: Thielen and Diggs are performing as must-start wide receivers in fantasy football.

Want to talk more fantasy football? E-mail Mike at mike.nelson@startribune.com or heckle him on Twitter @mike_e_nelson.