Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson was drafted with a top-five pick — or potentially even higher — in fantasy football leagues this offseason. However, the talented WR has been sidelined and on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
What’s the latest news on the star wideout, and can fantasy managers plan on having him available for their starting lineup as early as this weekend? Let’s find out.
Latest Injury Update on Justin Jefferson
Fantasy managers were heartbroken after Week 5 when they learned that Jefferson would be placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
At that time, Minnesota’s offense looked a lot different than it does now, and Jefferson figured to help Kirk Cousins push this team to a postseason berth when he returned.
MORE: Kyle Soppe’s Week 10 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
Unfortunately, we know that Cousins is no longer the starting QB due to his Achilles injury, and Jefferson will return to a brand new QB if he does return here in Week 10. As of right now, the latest update on Jefferson indicates that it could be a possibility that he makes it back.
The Vikings are officially listing Jefferson as questionable going into their Week 10 bout with the New Orleans Saints after he’s logged limited practices so far this week.
Will Jefferson Play This Week?
There were indications early on this week when Jefferson returned to practice that he would most likely sit through this matchup against New Orleans with his sights set on returning in Week 11 against the Denver Broncos.
However, as Jefferson made his way onto the practice field this week, the tune changed coming out of Minnesota, and the dynamic playmaker legitimately appears on track to play in Week 10. However, there is the possibility that this is an attempt at playing a mind game for the Vikings coaching staff and forcing the Saints to allocate extra time to plan on how to contain Jefferson.
We’ll continue to monitor the situation and update this piece as more and more information becomes available, so make sure to check back in frequently for the latest news on Jefferson’s status going into Sunday.
What Does This Mean for Jefferson’s Fantasy Ranking?
If Jefferson does make it back in time for this matchup, he’s not going to instantly vault right back up the rankings to his normal top-five position. As alluded to above, this is a drastically different situation that he’s walking back into than when he left and we have no idea how Joshua Dobbs and Jefferson will do playing together.
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Dobbs performed incredibly well stepping in in relief of Jaren Hall last week, but should we expect that same level of play from him against a stout Saints defense? If Jefferson comes back, he’ll be the focus of the defense and will most likely have multiple defenders shadowing him on every play.
There are many obstacles in Jefferson’s way for him to return top 12 value this week, which makes him a risky play in his first game back. If you have Jefferson on your roster, it’s best to view him as a low-end WR2 who has a wide range of outcomes if he suits up.
As for the other receiving weapons in Minnesota, Jordan Addison would move down the rankings to a mid-range WR3 if Jefferson plays, while K.J. Osborn would go back to fantasy benches or waiver wires. T.J. Hockenson — assuming that he plays fighting through his own set of injuries — will remain a top-tier option.
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