Prior to the start of the season this was a Thursday Night Football Game that no one outside of Minnesota or Tampa had circled on their calendars. In fact, it led many of us wishing that Seinfeld or Friends would return for just one Thursday evening this season.

Now that we are nearing the midpoint of the season, this game has taken on an added importance.

The Minnesota Vikings are currently 5-2 and in second place in the NFC North. Yes, they are a full game ahead of the Green Bay Packers and just a half game behind the Chicago Bears. A win here would double their total from last season through just the first half of the year.

However, there are signs that this team is going to regress a bit moving forward. Christian Ponder has now thrown six interceptions in his last three games after throwing none in the first four games of the season. Additionally, Minnesota has a disturbingly tough late-season schedule. It goes up against the Bears and Packers, twice each, as well as the Houston Texans during a six game stretch to end the season.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are holding onto remote postseason chances. They currently sit at 2-4 and four games behind the undefeated Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. More importantly, Tampa is behind a myriad of different teams for each of the two wildcard spots.

Josh Freeman has had a good go of it over the course of the last two games, throwing a total of six touchdowns. If the talented quarterback can return to 2010 form, this team could run off a serious win streak.

Fantasy

Neither quarterback should be considered a solid start here. While Freeman has been good over the course of the last couple weeks, he is going up against a vastly improved Vikings pass defense that ranks 11th against the pass. Meanwhile, Ponder just isn’t a QB1 option unless you are in a serious bind. While Tampa has allowed 323 passing yards per game (31st in the NFL), they have nine interceptions and the young quarterback has been turnover prone over the course of the last three weeks. If Ponder can limit those mistakes tonight, he might actually put up solid fantasy numbers.

Both Vincent Jackson and Percy Harvin are solid WR1 options here. Jackson was inconsistent at best over the course of the first five games, but came through big time against the New Orleans Saints last week. He broke a single-game franchise record with 216 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Harvin is second among NFL wide receivers with 53 receptions and is going up against a lackluster Bucs’ pass defense.

Expect Adrian Peterson to put up over 100 yards and a score in this one as well. He continues to get those legs underneath himself and will be a dynamic fantasy performer for the remainder of the season. The huge wildcard here is rookie running back Doug Martin, who has stepped it up recently after struggling through the early part of the season.

Fantasy Projections

Christian Ponder: 21/35- 250 yards,  two touchdowns and one interception

Josh Freeman: 18/34- 245 yards, two touchdowns and one interception

Adrian Peterson: 25 rushes, 125 yards and one touchdown

Doug Martin: 16 rushes, 75 yards and one touchdown

Percy Harvin: 8 receptions, 115 yards and one touchdown

Vincent Jackson: 4 receptions, 55 yards and zero touchdowns