Minnesota Vikings welcome Buffalo Bills to U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday night, and the Vikings will have to do it without their starting quarterback.
Game details
| When | Monday, November 9, 2026 at 8:15 PM ET |
| Where | U.S. Bank Stadium |
| TV | ESPN |
| Line | Buffalo Bills -3 | O/U 44 (market view) |
| Buffalo Bills record | 6-1 |
| Minnesota Vikings record | 6-1 |
Overview
The Minnesota Vikings sit at 6-1 but arrive on a one-game skid after a 15-19 loss at Detroit Lions in Week 8. Before that stumble, Minnesota rattled off wins over Indianapolis Colts (16-10), New Orleans Saints (23-13), Miami Dolphins (15-10) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (23-16). The Vikings have scored 140 points while allowing just 93, a defense that's been the backbone of this run.
Buffalo Bills also sit at 6-1, but they're riding a three-game winning streak after a 36-10 blowout of Baltimore Ravens in Week 8. That followed wins over Las Vegas Raiders (33-30), Los Angeles Rams (37-34) and Los Angeles Chargers (24-16), with the lone blemish a 26-29 loss to New England Patriots in Week 4. Buffalo has outscored opponents 233-181 on the season.
The edge here tilts toward Buffalo, and it's not close. Minnesota is without quarterback Kyler Murray, who's out with a hamstring injury, and wide receiver Jauan Jennings is out with a calf issue. Running back Demond Claiborne is also out with a knee injury. Add in left tackle Christian Darrisaw not practicing and safety Harrison Smith working as limited, and the Vikings have real questions to answer against a Bills team that's rolling.
Key players
Justin Jefferson had a touchdown catch last week and has 607 receptions, 8,815 receiving yards and 46 touchdown catches through 100 career games, the third-most receiving yards by a player in his first 100 games; he torched Buffalo for 10 catches, 193 yards and a touchdown in the last meeting.
T.J. Hockenson caught four passes for 58 yards and a touchdown in Week 8 and is going for his third straight game with a touchdown reception; he's got a touchdown catch in three of his last four at home.
Aaron Jones Sr. ranks fourth in rush yards (8,084) and fifth among running backs in scrimmage yards (10,857) since 2017, and he torched Buffalo for 143 rush yards in his last game against them.
Andrew Van Ginkel piled up 2.5 sacks in Week 8 and ranks tied for fifth in the NFL with 6.5 sacks this season, with a sack in two of his last three games.
Josh Metellus led the Vikings with 13 tackles and added a pass defensed in Week 8, and he's chasing a third straight game with seven or more tackles.
Keys to the game
With Kyler Murray out, Minnesota needs its run game to carry the offense, leaning on Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason to keep drives alive.
Justin Jefferson has to get going early and often, especially given his 193-yard, one-touchdown outing against this same Bills defense in the last meeting.
The Vikings defense has to account for Josh Allen's legs as much as his arm, with Allen ranking second in the NFL with nine rushing touchdowns this season.
Fantasy angles
Kyler Murray is out with a hamstring injury, so his 16.0-point projection is irrelevant this week, sit him without a second thought.
Justin Jefferson projects for 12.5 DraftKings points and remains a start regardless of who's throwing him the ball, he's too talented to bench.
T.J. Hockenson's 9.0-point projection makes him a confident start, especially chasing his third straight game with a touchdown catch.
Aaron Jones Sr. projects for 8.0 points and becomes more valuable with Minnesota likely leaning on the ground game, a solid flex play.
Will Reichard projects for 8.5 points, and with Minnesota's offense facing uncertainty at quarterback, a streamable option if your matchup is thin at kicker.
Prediction
The market has Buffalo Bills winning this one 24-21, and that lines up with what the numbers show. Buffalo is healthier, riding a three-game win streak, and Minnesota is replacing its starting quarterback. The Vikings' defense has been stout all season, but asking it to carry an offense without Kyler Murray against a Bills team scoring at this clip is a tall order.
Injury report
| Player | Pos | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Demond Claiborne | RB | Out |
| Jauan Jennings | WR | Out |
| Jay Ward | S | Questionable |
| Kyler Murray | QB | Out |
| Theo Jackson | S | Questionable |
| Christian Darrisaw | OT | Did not practice (no game status yet) |
| Harrison Smith | S | Limited in practice (no game status yet) |
Depth chart
Offense
| Pos | Minnesota Vikings |
|---|---|
| QB | Kyler Murray |
| RB | Jordan Mason |
| FB | Max Bredeson |
| WR | Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings |
| TE | T.J. Hockenson |
| LT | Christian Darrisaw |
| LG | Joe Huber |
| C | Blake Brandel |
| RG | Will Fries |
| RT | Brian O'Neill |
Defense
| Pos | Minnesota Vikings |
|---|---|
| LDE | Levi Drake Rodriguez |
| NT | Caleb Banks |
| RDE | Jalen Redmond |
| WLB | Andrew Van Ginkel |
| LILB | Eric Wilson |
| RILB | Blake Cashman |
| SLB | Dallas Turner |
| LCB | Isaiah Rodgers |
| RCB | James Pierre |
| NB | Byron Murphy Jr. |
| SS | Joshua Metellus |
| FS | Harrison Smith |
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | Wk8 L 15-19 vs Detroit Lions, Wk7 W 16-10 vs Indianapolis Colts, Wk5 W 23-13 vs New Orleans Saints |
More league notes: Week 9 NFL Preview & Capsules and What to Look For - Week 9, from the NFL.
Written by Rhett Zone, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores, box scores, injuries and depth charts). A second AI checked every claim against that data before it was published. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.