The Minnesota Vikings are quite a conundrum. On one hand, their name recalls the fierce Norse warriors that slaughtered those in their path a thousand years hence. On the other hand, their uniforms are purple. This dichotomy more or less sums up the NFC North representatives from a fantasy perspective as well: for every my best friend, Norv Turner. But before we get to all that, let’s talk about the year that was.

The Good

It took over two-thirds of the season, but Patterson finally broke through. Sorta. Why, “sorta?” Because the breakout was one big game (Week 14) which was followed by a couple big plays and a whole lot of nothing else.

That is some pretty faint praise, which may be a bit unfair. Patterson did reel off some explosive, highlight reel stuff on more than one occasion. Watching them back on tape, you can see the talent seeping out of his pores. But you also see a very raw, unrefined route runner who relied on wide receiver screens and gimmick-type plays to be effective.

I will digress for now and pick this topic back up in the next section.

wrote much, much more about Turner back in January, but the short version is that he is probably the single most effective offensive coordinator in the entire league. His teams show tremendous improvement immediately upon his hiring. I have so much faith in Turner that I think even with the likes of Cassel, they could be a top-15 fantasy offense as soon as right now. Norv’s presence alone has traditionally been worth a more than 10 percent increase in fantasy points per game.

It's a team in a rebuilding mode, and the defense is just as in need as the offense. But at least the only direction the Vikings can go, hopefully, is up.