Fighting for their playoff lives, the Minnesota Vikings won't have quarterback Kirk Cousins for their Week 17 showdown against the Green Bay Packers.
He landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week, thrusting Sean Mannion, Kyle Sloter and rookie Kellen Mond into potential playing time for Sunday Night Football.
Minnesota — which was +7 around the market prior to the news — jumped to +13, with a few shops posting 13.5's.
But is this the proper adjustment?
Here's how our resident analyst Travis Reed weighs the drop-off from Cousins to the backups.
How Much is Kirk Cousins Worth to the Betting Line?
It appears the market made a necessary read.
"6.5 points for me," said Reed.
Cousins hasn't finished top five at his position in fantasy since Week 6. He was QB6 in three consecutive games from Week 9-11, but fell outside the top 10 in four of five entering Week 17.
You pretty much know what you're going to get nowadays from Cousins, who's 33 and doesn't offer as much upside as other, up-and-coming quarterbacks.
However, a 6.5-point drop-off is no joke, and it mostly stems from the rest of the depth chart behind him.
"Cousins isn't great, but the drop-off is significant," Reed explained.
Mannion is the most experienced of the three, but he's fresh off the reserve list. The 29-year-old hasn't played in meaningful game since 2019.
Sloter, meanwhile, has bounced around practice squads his entire career; Mond, a rookie, would be making his first-career start if he gets the nod.
Plus, this a dome team going on the road to a hostile stadium with winter weather against arguably the hottest quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.
We'll see if this one gets to +14 before Vikings support makes its rounds.
