What Can We Expect From Vikings Pass Catchers?

It has been a crazy year for Minnesota Vikings fans. The team had high expectations coming into the year, but it’s been a wild ride. Minnesota lost Justin Jefferson for an extended period, and then quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles.

This team has stayed together and is 7-6 — right in the thick of the NFC playoff race. However, the Vikings are once again changing quarterbacks and going with veteran Nick Mullens. With another quarterback under center, what can fantasy football managers expect out of Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson?

Should You Start Justin Jefferson in Fantasy This Week?

It appears like Jefferson is going to be able to go for the Vikings, who play the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday. If he can suit up, it’s hard to count out Jefferson.

What makes him one of the best fantasy options out there is his perpetually high ceiling. In any game he plays in, he’s capable of a 10+ catch type of performance with 130 yards and two touchdowns. He is absolutely that good.

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However, this week, it feels like Jefferson’s ceiling is going to be lower than normal. He is still battling a chest injury he sustained in his first game back from injury. Add that with the fact that Mullens is going to be the quarterback, and this feels like there may not be a ton of explosive plays.

This feels like a five-catch, 60-yard game where you will desperately need him to get a touchdown to end up with a WR1 finish.

Should he be in your lineup? Yes, but don’t be completely shocked if it isn’t a monster day for Jefferson.

Should You Start Jordan Addison in Fantasy This Week?

Addison got his rookie season off to a fantastic start, with seven touchdowns in his first eight games. That is a heck of a debut, as only six other receivers in the history of the NFL have ever had seven touchdowns in their first eight career games.

That’s the type of start that has fantasy managers going crazy. Unfortunately, Addison hasn’t gotten into the end zone since then.

He’s still a solid receiver with a bright future in both fantasy and for the Vikings. However, Addison’s going to have the same issues with Mullens that Jefferson will encounter.

Addison probably doesn’t have a ton of experience catching passes from Mullens and could be in for a low-target day.

Should You Start T.J. Hockenson in Fantasy This Week?

Yes, and this should be a no-brainer. Honestly, Hockenson has the potential in this game to be the overall TE1 in Week 15. With Mullens getting his first start, he’s going to look for the easiest and safest option, which is Hockenson.

Since Week 4, the fewest targets he has had in a game is six. Hockenson has 10 games this year where he has been targeted at least eight times and four games with at least 11 looks.

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It hasn’t mattered who has been the quarterback for the Vikings this year, they have looked for Hockenson with regularity.

Cincinnati has given up the 27th-most passing yards this year (252.1 yards). Since I don’t expect Minnesota to attack deep, Mullens is going to go to Hockenson early and often in the short passing game, and that should lead to a solid fantasy outing.

In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Hockenson is the player to start. His projected 14.4 points include a projection of six receptions and 62 yards. That’s a pretty solid day for a tight end, and it outperforms the consensus projection for Jefferson (13.0 points) and Addison (7.9 points).

I’m going to agree with the optimizer on this. You have to expect Mullens is going to get the ball out of his hands quickly, and it feels like a day the tight end position gets peppered with targets.

Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!