The Vikings will be placing WR Justin Jefferson on IR for the hamstring injury that knocked him out of Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. That means he'll miss at least the next four games. Jefferson's absence will obviously leave a bunch of targets for his Vikings teammates. Jefferson drew 47 through the first four games, 30% of QB Kirk Cousins' total attempts over that span. That makes rookie WR Jordan Addison a weekly starting candidate over the next month. He drew a season-high 9 targets in the K.C. game, reaching 6 receptions for the second time in three weeks. It also makes WR K.J. Osborn worth picking up in many leagues. But there's also a chance Jefferson's absence shifts the offensive approach. Minnesota leads the league in pass attempts through five weeks, sits tied for the lead in pass rate, and ranks third in pass rate over expected. Losing Jefferson figures to hurt the offense overall and could push a little more work to the running game. We're certainly not upgrading RB Alexander Mattison for this, but we'll be watching the offense's reaction over the next couple of weeks. Cousins clearly loses upside with the absence of arguably the league's best WR. Fortunately for him -- and fantasy managers -- the Vikings visit a bad Bears defense in the first game without Jefferson. That will help everyone's fantasy outlooks. An ominous Monday night date with the 49ers waits on the other side of that, however.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Monday afternoon that the team is still waiting on the results from the MRI on WR Justin Jefferson's hamstring. "We're going to do what's best for Justin and make sure we give him the treatment and plan that is a big picture positive for him," O'Connell said. It sure sounds like the Vikings are bracing for Jefferson to miss time. We'll update his status as soon as we know more. Jefferson's absence would leave behind lots of opportunity for WR Jordan Addison, WR K.J. Osborn, and TE T.J. Hockenson.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson didn't let a mere 139-yard passing day for his team get in the way Sunday. Jefferson posted a 6-85-2 receiving line in the win over Carolina. He drew a target on 47.4% of Kirk Cousins' pass attempts, accounting for 50% of the team's receptions, 61.2% of receiving yards, and 100% of the offensive scoring. TE T.J. Hockenson ranked second on the team with just 3 targets, catching two for 24 yards. RB Cam Akers was the only other Viking to catch more than one pass. WR K.J. Osborn finished with 1 reception for 16 yards on 2 targets. WR Jordan Addison went catchless on 1 target. Minnesota gets the Chiefs back home in Week 5 and then a high-upside matchup at Chicago in Week 6.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson made a team-high 8 receptions for 78 yards in Sunday's loss to the Chargers. It was his third game with 7+ catches to open the year. Hockenson drew a season-high 11 targets but has garnered 8+ in every game. He ceded a TD to TE Josh Oliver, among 2 receptions for 4 yards for the mainly blocking TE. Hockenson is a strong fantasy starter across formats.
The Vikings and TE T.J. Hockenson have agreed to a four-year extension that keeps him in Minnesota through the 2027 season. Hockenson is getting $66 million over the four new years with $42.5 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Hockenson has missed most of training camp with an alleged ear infection and stiff back -- but we're guessing this new contract heals him up. We'll keep an eye on Hockenson's status, but he should be ready to go for Week 1.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson is over the ear infection that has sidelined him in camp but is now out with lower-back stiffness, according to insider Sam Ekstrom. Like the ear issue, this doesn't sound like a major concern. But it's certainly been a less-than-ideal August for Hockenson. We'll let you know when he gets back on the field.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson said Monday that an ear infection early in camp was affecting his equilibrium. That has kept him out of contact and team drills, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. Hockenson also said he didn't know if he would participate in upcoming joint practices with the Titans. This doesn't sound like a big issue. But avoiding contact for that long suggests it's something we need to at least be aware of. We'll see how the rest of August goes for Hockenson. For now, he's not moving down our fantasy football rankings, though.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Vikings are releasing WR Adam Thielen. It's been a long-rumored, contract-related move. The 32-year-old (until August) has seen his target share decline for two straight seasons. Thielen also tallied a career-low 10.2 yards per catch last season and posted his second smallest averages in both receptions and yards per game since becoming a starter in 2016. We'd still bet on Thielen finding opportunity somewhere else, but it's tough to know how big a role to expect until he lands. You can take some shots on Thielen at his already depressed ADP in current best ball drafts. But don't target him too heavily or expect a huge payoff. Thielen's departure leaves opportunity for WR K.J. Osborn and TE T.J. Hockenson. Don't be surprised, though, if Minnesota adds a wide receiver early in the NFL Draft.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson led the team in receiving with 10 catches on 11 targets for 109 yards in Sunday's Wild Card loss vs. the Giants. This explosion comes only a few weeks after his 13-109, 2 TD performance against the Giants in Week 16. WR Justin Jefferson totaled 47 receiving yards, hauling in 7 of his 9 targets on the day. Both Hockenson and Jefferson figure to be big contributors to this Vikings' offense moving forward into 2023.
Vikings TE Irv Smith has been activated from IR, putting him on track to play vs. the Bears on Sunday. He's been out since going down with a significant high-ankle sprain in Week 8. Smith's return is a boost to Minnesota's passing game, but he's unlikely to be a big fantasy factor in the postseason behind TE T.J. Hockenson.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Friday that his regulars will start this weekend's game vs. the Bears but that there's a plan to potentially pull them early to get backups some reps, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. The Vikings can't get the NFC's #1 seed and can only climb from #3 to #2 with a 49ers loss to the Cardinals. QB Kirk Cousins, RB Dalvin Cook, WRs Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen and TE T.J. Hockenson are candidates to leave Sunday's game early.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Monday that he won't sit his starters in Sunday's regular-season finale vs. the Bears -- although he added that he could make "more subtle" adjustments to playing time. The Vikings can't get the NFC's #1 seed but are still alive for the #2 seed with a win plus a loss by the 49ers. Minnesota kicks off at 1 pm ET, while 49ers-Cardinals doesn't start until 4:25 pm ET, so there won't be any scoreboard watching going on. It's possible that the Vikings pull guys like QB Kirk Cousins, RB Dalvin Cook, WR Justin Jefferson and TE T.J. Hockenson if they build a big lead, but we're currently projecting full playing time for all of them.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw for just 205 yards in Sunday's loss to the Packers, with 1 TD and 3 INTs. The lone TD went to WR Jalen Nailor from 47 yards out, helping him lead the team with 89 yards on 3 catches. TE T.J. Hockenson led the team with 12 targets, catching 7 for 59 yards. WR K.J. Osborn added a TD catch, but it came from QB Nick Mullens in garbage time. WR Justin Jefferson managed just 1 reception for 15 yards among 5 looks. Minnesota closes out the regular season with an upside matchup at Chicago.
Vikings TE Irv Smith (ankle) has been designated to return from IR. He's been out since going down with a significant high-ankle sprain in Week 8. Minnesota, of course, swung a deal for TE T.J. Hockenson since then. Smith's return could be a slight boost to the Vikings passing game, but he won't be a fantasy factor in the regular season or playoffs, barring a Hockenson injury.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson tallied 13 catches for 109 yards and 2 TDs in Saturday's win over the Giants. He tied WR Justin Jefferson for the team lead with 16 targets, while no other Viking drew more than 5 looks or exceeded 3 receptions.
Vikings WR K.J. Osborn tied WR Justin Jefferson for the team target lead (16) in Saturday's come-from-behind OT win over the Colts. Osborn caught 10 balls for a team-high 157 yards and scored. Jefferson returned from an injury check (chest) to catch 12 passes for 123 yards and a TD. WR Adam Thielen managed just 3 receptions on 4 targets for 41 yards and a TD. TE T.J. Hockenson added 3-33 receiving on 9 looks.
Vikings WR Adam Thielen caught 7 of 8 targets for 65 yards and a TD in Sunday's loss to the Lions. He trailed Justin Jefferson's lead in receptions, tying TE T.J. Hockenson for 2nd on the team in targets and ranking 3rd in yardage. Hockenson managed a 6-77 receiving line. WR K.J. Osborn claimed the other TD catch to go with 5 catches for 38 yards on 5 targets.
The Jets limited Vikings WR Justin Jefferson to 45 yards on 7 catches among 11 targets in Sunday's Minnesota win. Jefferson did find the end zone from 10 yards out in the middle of the 4th quarter to save what would have been a disappointing fantasy day by his standards otherwise. A Week 14 clash with the Lions presents an opportunity for Jefferson to avenge his worst outing of the year: 3 catches for 14 yards in Week 3. TE T.J. Hockenson and WR Adam Thielen tied for 2nd in targets against the Jets with 6 apiece. Hockenson caught 4 for 33 yards. Thielen caught 2 balls for 27 yards.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson amassed 139 yards and a TD on 9 catches in Thursday night's win over the Patriots. WR Adam Thielen trailed him by just 1 target and matched Jefferson's 9 catches, tallying 61 yards and a TD. TE T.J. Hockenson snagged the other of Kirk Cousins' 3 scoring tosses, totaling a 5-43-1 receiving line among 6 targets. The Minnesota passing game gets a tougher draw against the Jets in Week 13.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins managed only 12-of-23 passing for 105 yards in Sunday's beatdown at the hands of the Cowboys. He took 7 sacks and lost a fumble in the 40-3 defeat, giving way to Nick Mullens for late mop-up duty. TE T.J. Hockenson led Minnesota pass-catchers with just 5 catches and 34 yards. WR Justin Jefferson checked in just behind with a 3-33 line on 5 targets. WRs Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn were the only other Vikings to catch more than 1 pass. (They each caught 2.) Minnesota gets challenging matchups the next 2 weeks as well, against the Patriots and Jets. The 1st of those comes on Thanksgiving night.
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