When looking for candidates for the Most Valuable Players of fantasy football at this season’s midway point, the standouts who have most surpassed their preseason projections, one need to look no further than the Vikings’ bench.

That’s the 2024 Vikings’ bench … where Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones finished last season.

The former top prospect is a legit MVP candidate for the surprisingly 7-1 Colts. His 2,062 passing yards are not much more than average, but his 13 touchdown passes and four TD runs are much more. Whether his success continues in the tougher half of the Colts’ slate remains to be seen.

Here are other fantasy MVP candidates, led by the running back who has helped Jones lead the Colts to early-season glory:

Jonathan Taylor (Colts RB) — With 1,026 total yards and 14 touchdowns, the former Wisconsin Badger is on pace to be the NFL’s first 30-TD player since San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson had 31 in 2006.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) runs with the ball during an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Zach Bolinger)

Javonte Wiliams (Cowboys RB) — A bust in Denver, Williams has been a revelation in JerryWorld with 726 total yards and nine touchdowns.

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams (33) runs the ball as Washington Commanders safety Quan Martin (20) defends during an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Cam Skattebo (Giants RB) — Before seeing his ankle turn into a pretzel, the rookie tallied 617 total yards and seven TDs.

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo, left, gets tackled by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun, right, but injured his ankle in the process during an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

George Pickens (Cowboys WR) — The former Steelers malcontent came up huge when CeeDee Lamb went down with injury, with 43 catches for 685 yards and six TDs.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) runs past Denver Broncos linebacker Dondrea Tillman (92) in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Michael Pittman (Colts WR) — Indy’s No. 1 receiver is finally living up to his gaudy expectations, with 43 catches for 446 yards and 6 TDs.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) on the sidelines during an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Zach Bolinger)

Tucker Kraft (Packers TE) — Last Sunday’s hero in Pittsburgh is having a career-best campaign. He has 30 catches for 469 yards and a half-dozen scores.

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) runs after a catch during an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Durisko)

Jake Ferguson (Cowboys TE) — He’s on pace to hit triple digits in catches this season, and he also has posted six touchdowns.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (87) gains yards after a catch during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Drake Maye (Patriots QB) — The biggest QB bargain, who went undrafted in many leagues, has 15 TD passes and two scoring runs for playoff-bound New England.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) winds up to pass in the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Sitting stars

First off, Justin Jefferson is the only Viking you should be confident to start against the Lions. … Tyrone Tracy will replace Skattebo in the Giants’ backfield, but no one should rush to start him against the 49ers. … Kansas City’s Isiah Pacheco will be a non-entity versus Buffalo. … Atlanta WR Drake London will be held in check by New England. … The Rams’ tough defense will limit Saints WR Chris Olave. … Tua Tagovailoa’s revival will be short-lived against Baltimore’s no-longer-defenseless defense. … Other QBs we expect will underwhelm are Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers against Indy, Trevor Lawrence against the Raiders and C.J. Stroud versus Denver.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson runs the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Matchup game

Derrick Henry scored twice last week against Chicago, and he may do the same against the weak Miami defense. … The Chargers’ Kimani Vidal should have another big day against Tennessee. … Bears receivers Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore are both great starting options against Cincinnati. … We see one Lions WR breaking out against the Vikings: Jameson Williams. … Indy TE Tyler Warren will augment his rookie of the year resume versus Pittsburgh. … And two quarterbacks who could have big games are Seattle’s Sam Darnold against the Commanders, and the Cardinals’ Kyler Murray versus Dallas.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley (5), right, hands the ball off to running back Derrick Henry (22) during the first half an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Injury watch

The biggest name among the Week 8 casualties is Philly RB Saquon Barkley, though his groin injury is not considered too serious. … Same goes for the shoulder injury of Cleveland RB Quinshon Judkins. … Three QBs will be returning from injury this week: Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and, very likely, Washington’s Jayden Daniels and San Francisco’s Brock Purdy. … The list of questionables includes two running backs (Chiefs’ Isiah Pacheco, Chargers’ Hassan Haskins), four receivers (Rams’ Puka Nacua, Houston’s Nico Collins, Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas and Washington’s Terry McLaurin), one tight end (Raiders’ Brock Bowers) and three quarterbacks (Arizona’s Kyler Murray, Cincinnati’s Joe Flacco, Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr.).

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley looks on during an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Deepest sleeper

Tennessee WR Chimere Dike, a first-year pro from Florida, is becoming a favorite of fellow rookie Cam Ward. He tallied 93 yards in Week 8 against Indianapolis. Over the past two weeks he has 11 catches for 163 yards and a touchdown, which makes him a standout on Tennessee’s Island of Misfit Toys roster.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Chimere Dike (17) makes a catch in front of Indianapolis Colts linebacker Austin Ajiake (58) during the first half an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The Thursday pick

Ravens at Dolphins (+7½)
Pick: Ravens by 14

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Thursdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on X– @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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Today is Wednesday, Oct. 29, the 302nd day of 2025. There are 63 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 29, 1929, “Black Tuesday” descended on the New York Stock Exchange. Stock prices collapsed amid panicked selling, $14 billion in value was lost, and thousands of investors were wiped out, triggering America’s Great Depression.

Also on this date:

In 1618, Sir Walter Raleigh, the English courtier, military adventurer and poet, was executed in London for allegedly conspiring against King James I.

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In 1922, Benito Mussolini, the founder of fascism, is appointed Italian prime minister by King Victor Emmanuel III. (He was dismissed by Emmanuel in 1943 after the Allied invasion of Italy and was executed by partisans in 1945).

In 1940, a blindfolded Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson drew the first number — 158 — from a glass bowl in America’s first peacetime military draft.

In 1956, the Suez Crisis began as Israel invaded Egypt to seize control of the vital waterway, backed by France and Britain, after its nationalization by Egypt. (Their forces eventually withdrew after U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration refused to back the effort and threatened sanctions).

In 1960, a chartered plane carrying the California Polytechnic State University football team crashed on takeoff from Toledo, Ohio, killing 22 of 48 people on board.

In 1998, Sen. John Glenn, at age 77, returned to space aboard the shuttle Discovery, retracing the trail he had blazed as the first American to orbit the Earth in the Friendship 7 Mercury space capsule in 1962.

In 2012, Superstorm Sandy slammed ashore in New Jersey and slowly marched inland, devastating coastal communities and causing widespread power outages; the storm and its aftermath were blamed for at least 182 deaths in the U.S.

In 2018, a Boeing 737 MAX operated by the Indonesian airline Lion Air crashed after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.(Five months later, an Ethiopian Airlines Max crashed after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board; the 737 MAX was grounded worldwide, and a flight-control system was implicated in the crashes.)

In 2022, more than 150 people were killed and dozens more were injured in South Korea after being crushed by a large crowd pushing forward on a narrow street during Halloween festivities in Seoul.

In 2024, Hezbollah said it had chosen cleric Naim Kassem to lead the Lebanese militant group after the killing of its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb in late September.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Richard Dreyfuss is 78.
Actor Kate Jackson is 77.
Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Potvin is 72.
Actor Dan Castellaneta (TV: “The Simpsons”) is 68.
Actor Joely Fisher is 58.
Actor Rufus Sewell is 58.
Actor Winona Ryder is 54.
Actor Tracee Ellis Ross is 53.
Actor Gabrielle Union is 53.
Olympic gold medal bobsledder Vonetta Flowers is 52.
Actor Ben Foster is 45.
Olympic gold medal swimmer Amanda Beard is 44.

Sometimes you don’t just pop out of a slump. There’s a process to getting back on track. And the Minnesota Wild liked much about that process on Tuesday, even if their losing streak grew by another game.

Facing Winnipeg for the first time this season, with the NHL’s best penalty killers and one of the league’s elite goalies visiting, the Wild had the table set for a feel-good win, only to see it slip away.

Nino Niederreiter tied the game in the third and Kyle Connor scored in overtime for for the Jets, who led early, trailed late, then rallied for a 4-3 win at Grand Casino Arena.

It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Wild, who led with nine minutes to play following a third period power play goal by Marcus Johansson. Still, their coach saw progress.

“Sometimes you don’t just come right out of it. There’s a process to get out of it,” Wild coach John Hynes said, after this team fell to 3-5-3. “There’s a style of game. There’s a dig in factor, there’s a diligence to your game that you need to have. And then you climb and you play well, and maybe sometimes you don’t get totally rewarded for what it is.”

Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor (81) celebrates his game winning overtime goal against the Minnesota Wild during an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Filip Gustavsson had 17 saves in the loss.

After trailing 2-0 early, Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber scored second period goals for Minnesota.

“If we play that same game 10 times over, I think we have a good chance of winning a lot of those games,” Faber said. “So … it stings. We’ve just got to get back to it and stick with it.”

Minnesota came out shooting, sending 10 pucks toward Connor Hellebuyck in the first 10 minutes, although the goalie – who is renowned for his ability to be square to the puck – was up to the task, making the 10 saves look routine.

On the other end of the rink, Winnipeg got traffic in front of the Wild net and scored on consecutive shifts, taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Gabriel Vilardi and Vladislav Namestnikov just 22 seconds apart.

It was the continuation of a recent trend that has seen opponents score first in the past five games.

“We need to get off to better starts,” Gustavsson said. “We can’t be down two goals, three goals or stuff like that in the first period. After that we can get going.”

Minnesota’s power play, which had scored three times in its previous two games, got an opportunity early in the second period, but versus Winnipeg’s NHL-leading penalty killers, they could sustain little pressure.

The first opportunity the home crowd had to roar came four minutes into the middle frame, when Wild defenseman Jake Middleton exchanged punches with Jets blueliner Luke Schenn.

“It was like, we’re down two. I think the whole building was a little dead and needed some pick me up,” said Middleton. “That was all. I just try to help out some way.”

The Wild sent practically everyone to the net to finally solve Hellebuyck six minutes into the middle frame.

The goalie made a shoulder save on a wrist shot by captain Jared Spurgeon, but the rebound sailed high into the air, then landed in the crease. Amid the mad scramble of bodies that followed, Kaprizov was able to poke in the loose puck a split second before the net was dislodged.

The referee on scene initially ruled no goal, but after a short conversation they reversed course. Winnipeg did not ask for a review.

Spurgeon’s assist on the play was the 300th of his NHL career. He became the third player in Wild history to reach 300 assists, after Mikko Koivu (504) and Ryan Suter (314).

A simple lack of puck luck prevented the Wild from tying the game near the midway point of the second when a Joel Ericksson Ek shot slid all the way along, but not over, the goal line.

But good fortune smiled a few minutes later to knot the game at 2-2.

Faber was crashing to the net and took a pass from Marco Rossi. Faber’s shot went over the net, hit the glass above the end boards and caromed back into the crease. As Hellebuyck scrambled to get back into position, the puck appeared to deflect off the goalie’s skate and into the net. It was Faber’s first goal of the season.

The second period ended with boos raining down on the officiating crew, and Matt Boldy in the penalty box. In the final seconds of the period, Boldly took a swipe at the puck while racing with Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo. The puck bounced up and hit DeMelo in the face, and a referee whistled Boldy for high sticking, although replay revealed at no time did Boldy’s stick touch DeMelo.

“He gets hit in the head, his head goes back, it’s close, so it’s a tough call for the ref,” Boldy said. “There’s no bad feelings there at all.”

After what can best be described as a make-up call gave the Wild a third period power play, Faber’s long shot was stopped by Hellebuyck. But the loose puck in the crease deflected off the knee pad of a Jets defender and in. Johansson was the closest Wild player to the puck and got credit for the goal — his fourth in the past three games.

Hellebuyck finished with 33 saves for the Jets, who will host the Wild on Nov. 23 in Manitoba.

The Wild’s six-game homestand rolls along with the Pittsburgh Penguins making their only trip of the season to Minnesota on Thursday.

Briefly

As a part of their season-long 25th anniversary celebration, the Wild wore replica jerseys, pants and socks similar to those the team sported when they entered the NHL as an expansion team for the 2000-01 season. Dropping the ceremonial first puck before the game was a quartet of Wild players from the 2000s – Marian Gaborik, Brian Rolston, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Stephane Vellieux.

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Familiar faces were plentiful at TRIA Rink on Tuesday morning as the Minnesota Wild prepared for their first meeting with divisional rival Winnipeg at their morning skate.

Hanging out at the practice facility that did not exist when they were on the Minnesota roster, 2000s standouts Marian Gaborik, Brian Rolston and Pierre-Marc Bouchard got reacquainted with old friends like Wild broadcaster Tom Reid, and got to meet several of the current Wild players in advance of their appearances at Grand Casino Arena as part of the franchise’s 25th anniversary celebration.

Perhaps the best news for the Wild and their fans was a few familiar faces on the ice. Marcus Foligno practiced after missing the previous game due to an upper body injury. Alongside Foligno, Mats Zuccarello was on the ice for the first time this season as his recovery from a lower body injury continues.

After morning skate, Wild coach John Hynes listed Foligno as questionable to play versus the Jets, but the veteran was a full participant in warmups and played wing on the team’s third line with Vinnie Hinostroza at the other wing and Ryan Hartman at center.

The injury was the latest development in a start to the season for Foligno that has mirrored the rest of the Wild — namely, disappointing. He had no goals or assists in Minnesota’s first nine games, and is one of the players that they are counting on to provide more of a physical presence, which is among the things the Wild have lacked in the early going.

For Zuccarello, his work on Tuesday was the next step toward a return that the team hopes will come in November.

“Zuccy, it’s good to see him back out. He’s in that next level of progression for him where he’s starting to ramp it up a little bit individually,” Hynes said. “Now he’s back into team practices, which is good to see, too. For him, he has made some really good progress.”

Zuccarello, 38, was among the team leaders in assists last season with 54 in 69 games played, and would give the Wild another top six forward option upon returning to the lineup. He missed 13 games last season after getting hit below the belt by a teammate’s shot during a game — an ailment which required surgery in November 2024.

When the Wild announced his current injury in late September, they predicted Zuccarello would be out for up to eight weeks. Hynes said that is still the schedule they anticipate.

“Timeline remains the same,” Hynes said, noting that Zuccarello is not being exposed to any on-ice contact yet. “I think he’s in week five today, and it was six to eight (weeks). So he’s progressing well, and we’ll see where it goes from here.”

Hynes added that veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian, who missed his sixth consecutive game versus Winnipeg and has been seen wearing a walking boot, is considered week to week.

Johnson returns

Last month, Wild general manager Bill Guerin did not have an on-ice job available for veteran defenseman Jack Johnson, who participated in the Wild’s most recent training camp on a professional tryout, but was released before the regular season started.

Johnson, 38, played half of last season for Columbus and with more than 1,200 NHL games on his roster, is sliding toward retirement.

On Tuesday, Johnson was shadowing Guerin and some of the Wild’s hockey operations staff as the former Shattuck-St. Mary’s and University of Michigan standout begins learning the off-ice side of the NHL.

Guerin said he was happy to welcome Johnson back to Minnesota to get a look at the way they handle hockey operations, and it was reminiscent of 2010. That is when Guerin made the transition from playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins — the last stop in a 1,263-game NHL career — to a development coach role there.

He eventually worked his way up to assistant general manager in Pittsburgh before being hired to his first NHL general manager job with the Wild in 2019.

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