Week 1 of the NFL season has already seen a number of wide receivers be ruled out. With Copper Kupp, Christian Watson, and D.J. Chark already ruled out and Wan’Dale Robinson highly doubtful to play, late-round fantasy flier Adam Thielen is questionable going into Sunday’s opening game.
Let’s take a look at Adam Thielen’s latest injury status, whether or not he is expected to play today, and his fantasy football value this week.
Latest News Surrounding Adam Thielen
Adam Thielen has an ankle injury that limited him in practice from Wednesday this week. This appears to be a new injury that occurred only this week, as before then, he has practiced and participated all offseason.
Therefore, when he appeared on the injury report on Thursday, it was a bit of a surprise to Thielen fantasy owners. He is officially questionable to play today versus Atlanta.
Will Adam Thielen Play This Week?
While he is officially listed as questionable to play today versus the Atlanta Falcons, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network is reporting that Thielen will play.
The injury appeared to be a new injury just this week. And, while he was limited in practice most of the week, the key thing is he was able to practice. It appears the Panthers were being cautious due to the loss of D.J. Chark due to a hamstring injury, which has ruled him out already versus the Falcons.
However, according to Wolfe, Thielen will be a go today. Thielen was the WR30 in PPR scoring last season. However, he has moved from the Minnesota Vikings this season and joined the Carolina Panthers, which could complicate things.
What Does This Mean For Adam Thielen’s Fantasy Ranking?
It now appears highly likely Thielen will play versus the Atlanta Falcons today. In the PFN Consensus Rankings, Thielen is currently ranked at WR47 and the 124th-ranked player overall.
The Falcons allowed the 10th most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2022. Thielen had two top 12 wide receiver finishes in 2022 while also finishing in the top 24 wide receivers for the week an additional three times in PPR scoring.
However, this was on a much more potent Vikings attack with an experienced quarterback. This season, he is expected to help number-one overall pick Bryce Young acclimatize to the NFL. However, don’t expect the same efficiency or volume in Thielen’s numbers in 2023.
The one advantage for Thielen this week is the Falcons have historically given up a significant amount of fantasy points and touchdowns to wide receivers. Last season, they allowed 16 touchdowns to wide receivers, which was the joint 7th highest allowed in the NFL.
However, with a rookie quarterback starting his first game and a lack of threat from the other side with Chark ruled out, don’t expect too much out of Thielen. The PFN Start/Sit Optimizer projects Thielen to have 3.4 receptions for 34.4 yards — for a total of 8.6 points in PPR leagues.
These numbers don’t make him a flex consideration unless he finds the end zone, which is risky. Thielen’s fantasy managers would be best to fade him unless they are in a very deep league with four wide receivers or more starting or many flex spots.
If you are playing DFS, he doesn’t have much appeal despite his cheap price. There will be other receivers around his price range with better appeal heading into the main slate on Sunday.