Vikings Get Mixed News on Injury Updates for 3 Key Players

The Minnesota Vikings will need all the help they can get if they want to defeat the Cleveland Browns in Week 4. The team's injury report brought along some mixed news on Friday morning. On the bright side, both running back Dalvin Cook and linebacker Anthony Barr were back participating at practice.

Meanwhile, nose tackle Michael Pierce remained sidelined with an elbow/shoulder issue, making his status up in the air for Sunday. Getting back to full health should be the Vikings' top priority right now.

Minnesota Vikings News

Of course, this Vikings' offense would love to have Cook back on the field after he was forced to miss Week 3 with an ankle injury. The Pro Bowler has already racked up 252 yards from scrimmage and 1 touchdown in 2 games played this season. His 50 total touches still ranks No. 1 amongst Minnesota players.

Barr seems to be nearing a return from a knee injury. The veteran playmaker has not played a down for the Vikings since Week 2 of the 2020 season. His ability to make the tough tackles and provide reliable coverage will be welcomed on a defense currently giving up the fifth-most yards per game in the NFL (409.7).

Losing Pierce for this matchup would be a blow to an otherwise solid defensive line. The Browns are a run-heavy team and average the most rush attempts per game in the NFL (34.0). The dangerous duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt could wreak havoc on this defense if Pierce is unable to suit up.

All things considered, it's worth keeping an eye on these players' statuses heading into the weekend. The Vikings are slated as 2.5-point home underdogs against the Browns, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Minnesota also has odds set at +500 to win the NFC North division.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.