Midweek Stock Report: Bradford, Diggs shine
Every Wednesday, FOX Sports North takes a look at which athletes' stock is trending up and whose is trending down.
With that in mind, let's take stock of the current Minnesota sports scene.
Stefon Diggs, Vikings receiver
The Vikings' offense ran through Diggs on Sunday night. He hauled in nine receptions for a whopping 182 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Green Bay Packers, and now leads the league with 285 receiving yards through two games. Diggs has been targeted a combined 20 times by quarterbacks Shaun Hill and Sam Bradford, making him one of the league's most targeted receivers heading into Week 3.
Sam Bradford, Vikings quarterback
The Vikings were banking on an upgrade when Bradford was named the starter over Hill, but even the mercurial quarterback's biggest fans couldn't have seen this one coming. Bradford turned in the single best debut performance for a quarterback in Vikings history. He threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns, while registering a 121.2 quarterback rating and a 70.97 completion percentage and outdueling former league MVP Aaron Rodgers.
Trae Waynes, Vikings cornerback
Waynes was the Vikings' top cornerback against the Packers with Xavier Rhodes nursing a hamstring injury, and while his performance as a whole was troubling, he made one of the most critical plays of the game when it mattered most. After being picked on all night by Rodgers while matching up against Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams, Waynes finally got the upper hand as the Packers mounted a late comeback. Waynes beat Adams on the Packers' final drive, hauling in his second career interception.
Ervin Santana, Twins starting pitcher
Santana has quietly put together a nice season -- 3.38 ERA and 1.215 WHIP -- and has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last four starts, including a seven-shutout inning performance with nine strikeouts against the Mets on Saturday. Since the All-Star break, Santana has a 2.56 ERA, 1.125 WHIP and 8.1 K/9.
Nino Niederreiter, Wild forward
A collection of the best European players whose home nations aren't represented at the World Cup of Hockey, Team Europe wasn't expected to make much noise in a group that also includes Canada and the U.S. But after two games the Europeans have emerged as capable underdogs. Niederreiter set up Leon Draisaitl's goal on a 2-on-0 in a 3-0 win over Team USA to open the tournament, and has a plus-2 rating after Europe topped the Czech Republic 3-2 in their second game.
Adrian Peterson, Vikings running back
Peterson suffered a torn meniscus in the Vikings' win over the Packers on Sunday, exiting in the third quarter after picking up just 19 yards on 12 carries. It's a grim development for a running back five years removed from an ACL/MCL tear, but Peterson hopes to return at some point this season despite the damage.
Eddie Rosario, Twins outfielder
Rosario's second-half resurgence is over. The Twins' left fielder was diagnosed with a broken thumb on Tuesday and will miss the final 11 games of the season. Rosario recovered after a sluggish start, hitting .291/.328/.450 after the All-Star break.
Zach Parise, Wild forward
Team USA's run at the World Cup of Hockey is over just four days after it started. The U.S. was blanked 3-0 by Team Europe in a shocker to open the tourney, before being thoroughly outplayed by Team Canada in a 4-2 loss on Tuesday. Parise was held scoreless in the tournament, coming away with six shots on goal and an even plus/minus rating. In international appearances since his game-tying goal in the gold medal game at the 2010 Winter Olympics, Parise has just one point.
Follow Ryan Lund on Twitter