Minnesota Vikings Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Lions TE T.J. Hockenson (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. He's made a habit of sitting out on Wednesday this year, so we're not worried about his Week 8 status at this point. We'll update Hockenson's status again tomorrow, ahead of Sunday's game vs. Miami.

The Packers ran the ball just 12 times in losing at Washington on Sunday. RB AJ Dillon logged only 4 carries for 15 yards as his playing time sank for the 2nd time in 3 games. He got just 16 total snaps, less than half of Aaron Jones' time. Jones managed only 23 yards on his 8 rushes but led the team with 10 targets and 9 receptions. He tallied 53 yards receiving and caught the team's only 2 offensive TDs. Dillon's recent decline in exposure and overall decline in effectiveness can only help Jones' fantasy outlook. A struggling WR corps should continue sending targets his way as well. Dillon looks cuttable in leagues of 10 teams or fewer. That might even be true in shorter-roster 12-team leagues.

The Texans have placed EDGE Jonathan Greenard on IR with the calf injury he suffered in practice this week. He had already been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Raiders. This means he'll miss at least the following 3 games as well. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Greenard is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. His absence should mean more playing time for veteran Mario Addison; perhaps starter Rasheem Green as well. Green's weekly snap shares have gone: 54%, 57%, 53% and 61%.

The Texans have ruled EDGE Jonathan Greenard (calf) out for Sunday's game against the Raiders.

Panthers QB Sam Darnold (ankle) has been designated to return from IR and will return to practice this week. With QBs Baker Mayfield and P.J. Walker both banged up and playing horribly, we'll likely get Darnold back in our lives at some point this season. Of course, you can leave him on the waiver wire in fantasy leagues.

TE Robert Tonyan led the Packers in targets (12), receptions (10) and receiving yards (90) in Sunday's loss to the Jets. His 76% route rate also ranked 3rd among Green Bay players. Tonyan and the Packers now get 3 straight road dates, against Washington, Buffalo and Detroit.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson enjoyed another big game in Sunday's win over the Bears. He racked up a 12-154 receiving line on 13 targets. No other Viking drew more than 7 looks or caught more than 5 passes. WR Adam Thielen checked in 2nd with 7 targets but caught just 4 for 27 yards. K.J. Osborn caught all 5 of his targets (for 41 yards) to finish 2nd on the team in receptions.

Packers RBs combined for just 114 total yards in Sunday's loss to the Giants in London. Aaron Jones gained 63 yards on 13 carries and saw the backfield's only 3 targets. He caught 2 of those for 17 yards. AJ Dillon carried only 6 times, gaining 34 yards. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones more than doubled Dillon's playing time in this game -- 46 snaps to 20 -- working well ahead on both run and pass plays.

Lions WR T.J. Hockenson (hip) isn’t listed on the final Week 5 injury report. He went no practice Wednesday, limited Thursday, full Friday – the same routine he followed last week before exploding for 179 yards and 2 TDs.

Lions TE T.J. Hockenson (hip) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. He should be ready for his usual role vs. the Patriots this weekend.

Packers TE Robert Tonyan found the end zone in Sunday's OT win over the Patriots, catching 1 of Aaron Rodgers' 2 TD passes. That came on 1 of just 2 targets for the game, though. Tonyan continued to see his opportunities capped, running a route on 57% of Rodgers dropbacks. He'll need to improve on that to climb toward top-12 fantasy football lineup consideration.

Packers RB Aaron Jones ran for 110 yards on 16 carries in Sunday's OT win over the Patriots. He trailed AJ Dillon by 1 carry and led him by 2 targets but collected 31 more total yards. Dillon wound up with 73 yards on 17 rushes and one 11-yard catch among 2 targets. Week 5 brings a positive matchup with the Giants.

Panthers QB Sam Darnold (ankle) is eligible to come off the IR this week but is expected to still be sidelined for "a while," a source tells ESPN's Adam Schefter. This is worth reporting because QB Baker Mayfield has been so bad through 4 games that we're all wondering whether Darnold might actually be an upgrade. Unfortunately, it looks like it'll be Mayfield for at least a few more games.

Lions TE T.J. Hockenson delivered a huge receiving line in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks: 8 catches, 179 yards, 2 TDs. His 12 targets constituted 30% of Detroit's total pass attempts. The yardage checked in 48 higher than the previous top mark of his career. With WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown and D.J. Chark out, as well as RB D'Andre Swift, WR Josh Reynolds served as the #2 target. He drew 8 looks and caught 7 balls for 81 yards and a TD. No other Lion caught more than 3 passes in the game.

After a pair of down weeks, Vikings WR Justin Jefferson racked up 10 catches for 147 yards in Sunday's win over the Saints in London. He added a 3-yard rushing score as well. Jefferson's 13 targets stood 4 ahead of Adam Thielen and 9 ahead of #3 Irv Smith. Thielen caught 8 balls for 72 yards. Smith contributed 23 yards on 3 catches. Dalvin Cook was the only other Viking with more than 1 reception.

Lions TE T.J. Hockenson (foot) is not listed on the final Week 4 injury report. After sitting out on Wednesday, he was limited on Thursday and a full-go on Friday. So the foot shouldn’t be a real issue in Sunday’s game vs. the Seahawks. Hockenson should be in for an expanded role with RB D’Andre Swift and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown out.

Lions TE T.J. Hockenson (foot) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. We're tentatively expecting him to be fine for this weekend's game vs. the Seahawks, but we'll get another update tomorrow.

Lions TE T.J. Hockenson (foot) did not practice on Wednesday. We don't have any details on the injury. Check back tomorrow for another update on Hockenson's Week 4 status.

The Eagles and Lions used a steady dose of double teams to limit Vikings WR Justin Jefferson to a combined 9 catches and 62 scoreless yards over the past 2 weeks. HC Kevin O'Connell is determined to get Jefferson going again. "I have to do a better job of giving Justin different aspects of lining up in different spots, different personnel groupings, whatever I need to do to help him," O'Connell said. WRs Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn delivered TDs on more advantageous matchups in Week 3. The pendulum will swing back in Jefferson's direction soon. We're not worried about his rest-of-season fantasy outlook.

Packers RB Aaron Jones mustered only 12 carries for 36 yards in Week 3. Facing a stout Bucs defense, A.J. Dillon (12-32) struggled to get going, too. Jones, though, lost a fumble just shy of the goal line after taking a hard shot from DT Vita Vea. A score there would have been huge, as Jones finished with only 3 catches for 11 yards on 4 targets. (Dillon added just 2 grabs for 6 yards on 3 targets.) This ground game will look to rebound against New England in Week 4. The Pats have allowed only 3.8 YPC to opposing RBs through 3 games.