Vikings' Playoff Odds Receive Slight Bump After Draft Praise

About a week ago, the Minnesota Vikings playoff odds were set at a coin flip (-110) after the NFL Draft on FanDuel Sportsbook. This was an improvement after an offseason that saw many veterans leave in free agency, an improvement that came due to a top-rated draft performance that filled many roster needs.

The team from @fboutsiders compiled the grades from 17 #NFLDraft experts in an effort to "grade the graders," and the consensus appears to be that the Minnesota #Vikings did an outstanding job this past weekend. #NFL #Skol https://t.co/TjYgiE6p8r
— Daily Norseman, Skolcially Distancing Since '06 (@DailyNorseman) April 30, 2020

Even so, the initial odds boost from the red hot Vikings draft was less than spectacular. Since then, the odds have bumped to a -136 chance of making the playoffs. This yields an implied percentage of 57.6, which is still just above that 50-50 mark.

The Vikes could accomplish another playoff run if their plethora of top-graded rookies can make an immediate impact on the league. LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson is set to replace Stefon Diggs on the outside and Boise State tackle Ezra Cleveland could start on the offensive line.

The defense (especially the secondary) has been almost completely rebuilt, with new faces like Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler, Troy Dye, James Lynch, D.J. Wonnum, Josh Metellus and more joining the fold. All should compete for either starting or key role position jobs.

#Vikings secondary 2019 snap counts

1. Smith 1094
2. Harris 1033 (Likely getting traded)
3. Rhodes 908 (Gone)
4. Waynes 888 (Gone)
5. Alexander 534 (Gone)
6. Hughes 500
7. Kearse 271 (Gone)
8. Sendejo 204 (Free agent)
9. Hill 168
10. Boyd 99

Big yikes.
— Eric Thompson (@eric_j_thompson) March 19, 2020

It's always a risk when you ask rookies to start and perform at a playoff level, and Minnesota may do that all across the roster in 2020. While the major pillars are still in place from the impressive 2019 campaign, the Vikings are just betting on youth to fill in the gaps. That puts the current odds at a fair ask for fans, and possibly a risk worth taking.

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Michael Obermuller is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Michael Obermuller also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username king_mizzard. 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.