Smith active vs. Cowboys

As expected, Vikings EDGE Za'Darius Smith (knee) is active for today's game against the Cowboys. He's likely to play limited snaps vs. his usual usage.

The Vikings expect EDGE Za'Darius Smith (knee) to play today against the Cowboys, but it sounds like his snaps could be limited vs. usual. "They'll be smart with him, given the quick turnaround for a Thanksgiving game, and make sure he's on the field in pass-rush situations," NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. A Vikings beat writer before going national, Pelissero undoubtedly has insight into this situation. Smith, of course, is primarily useful to IDP lineups as a pass-rusher. So he's still usable for fantasy football today. But weigh his potential limitation vs. your other options. We knocked Smith down the Week 11 IDP rankings a little this morning.

Vikings EDGE Za'Darius Smith (knee) is active for today's game against the Saints.

Vikings EDGE Za'Darius Smith (knee) is questionable for Sunday morning's game against the Saints. He missed the 1st 2 days of practice this week before putting in a limited Friday workout. Smith probably isn't worth the risk for most IDP lineups, but we'll at least know his status early Sunday with the 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff in London.

The Vikings are signing EDGE Za'Darius Smith to a 3-year, $42 million deal with a top value of $47 million, according to multiple reports. Smith nearly signed with the Ravens but backed off that and lands with a Minnesota defense that will position him opposite DE Danielle Hunter. It's not yet clear how the new Vikings staff will primarily align its front 7. That only matters for how the positional designations will settle out for IDP leagues. The contract -- and the fact that 2 teams were willing to pay him -- indicates that Smith should be ready to return from the back surgery that halted his 2021 campaign. He has a chance to be a nice value in pressure-friendly fantasy football leagues. Smith totaled 26 sacks over his past 2 healthy campaigns.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that EDGE Za'Darius Smith is not signing with the Ravens, despite previous reports that they'd agreed to terms. So he remains on the free-agent market after his release from the Packers.