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Friday's NFL preseason Week 2 primer and odds

Norm Hall / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The lone Friday Week 2 NFL preseason game sees the Minnesota Vikings visit the Seattle Seahawks. How long will there be players on the field with names we all know?

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks (-3, 40.5)

About the Vikings

The Vikings improved to 13-1 straight up and 12-2 against the spread in the preseason under head coach Mike Zimmer after last week's 17-10 win over the Buffalo Bills.

"At the end of the day, does it matter? No," Zimmer told Minnesota reporters after being asked about his record in exhibition games. "But I think the competitive nature of your team, especially if you've got a young team getting used to winning - that's good. I know the record. We don't really go out of our way to win, but I like to win, yeah."

Zimmer expressed concern about seeing a lot of NFL starters pick up injuries - some season-ending - in the first week of the preseason. The Vikes head coach would also like to see some more production from his first teamers.

Sam Bradford and Co. picked up just one first down in three series. Expect the starters to play at least for the full first quarter for the Vikings.

Case Keenum and Taylor Heinicke are battling for right to be Bradford's backup. Keenum is No. 2 on the depth chart as it stands and he had a strong showing last week against the Buffalo Bills.

About the Seahawks

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is not talking about playing time for his starters against the Vikings. Carroll kept Russell Wilson and the rest of the first teamers out for the entire first half against these same Vikings in Week 2 of the preseason last year.

Carroll used the same strategy in Week 2 of the 2015 and 2014 preseasons as well.

Seattle put up 48 points on the scoreboard against the Los Angeles Chargers, by far the most points scored in Week 1 of the preseason. Backup quarterbacks Trevone Boykin and Austin Davis had a lot to do with all those points.

Boykin is fighting for his job as the team's backup QB because of some problems off the field and because of the play of veteran Austin Davis. The two should split snaps again in the second half against Minnesota.

Players to watch for fantasy football fanatics

Thomas Rawls, RB Seahawks

Eddie Lacy was signed in the offseason, but news out of Seattle's camp is that the No. 1 RB job is Rawls' to lose.

Dalvin Cook, RB Vikings

The rookie out of Florida State's average fantasy draft position is in the late third round but he could way outperform that ranking. Anyone who saw him play in college knows he's got moves and should be a real weapon in the passing game - particularly in an offense led by "Captain Checkdown."

Line moves

The spread is holding to its opening number at Seattle -3 while the over/under line has dropped half a point to 40.

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