Donovan McNabb Benched: Fantasy Implications Of Vikings Decision To Go Start Christian Ponder

The NFL Network is reporting that the Minnesota Vikings have decided to make a switch at the quarterback position. Jason LaCanfora tweeted that Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier has decided to bench veteran QB Donovan McNabb and insert rookie Christian Ponder into the starting lineup.

Given the quality of talent available at the top of the 2012 NFL Draft, this move will also have some repercussions in 2011 for fantasy football owners. I have to imagine few owners actually had Donovan McNabb in the starting lineup on a weekly basis and even fewer had Christian Ponder even on their bench, but this move does impact the rest of the roster.

While McNabb was not having a ton of success it is hard to tell if this will actually improve things in 2011. Ponder is a rookie who struggled in the preseason and now will be facing NFL defenses on a weekly basis. He does have Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin at his side, but for now this would seem to downgrade both of them. This could turn into a solid decision down the road, but it is hard to see this having much success in the short term.

One player who could benefit a little bit is tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. We have no real idea who will become Ponder's security blanket this season, although it could very well end up simply being Adrian Peterson. However, I have always been a fan of grabbing tight ends on a rookie QB-led team. I think it dates back to Drew Bledsoe's early days when Ben Coates was his security blanket.

For now, hold steady with Peterson and Harvin. It is not that you would trade them or anything, but it is good to know how this kind of move impacts your key pieces.

For more on the Vikings, check out Daily Norseman. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams. Follow @sbnationfantasy on Twitter.