The eyes of fantasy football managers have been on Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson for multiple weeks now. The WR was placed on injured reserve (IR) back in Week 6 with a hamstring injury and has now missed six games due to the injury.
Let’s take a look at the latest injury update for Jefferson, whether the Vikings WR could return in Week 12, and the fantasy implications of his status.
What is the Latest Injury Update for Justin Jefferson?
With Thursday being Thanksgiving, there was no media availability for the Vikings, but we did get our first injury report of the week. Jefferson was once again a limited participant at practice as he and the team continued to manage his hamstring issue. When he spoke to the media on Friday, the WR sounded optimistic.
Jefferson told reporters that he thinks he reached top speeds during practice. He would not commit to playing, but told the media, “I’m not sure. We’ll see. We still have more days to practice and really evaluate everything. We’re going to weigh the options correctly, making sure that I’m feeling well and prepared to play a game, and if I’m feeling good I will play.”
However, The Athletic’s Diana Russini reported on Thursday that it is expected that Jefferson won’t be ready to return in Week 12. Russini reported this in her Insider notebook for The Athletic on Thursday morning, but it was not confirmed or reported by any of the Vikings’ beat writers.
On Wednesday, head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked about Jefferson during his media availability. “He took a major part in our walkthrough earlier today,” stated O’Connell before adding, “I think we’re just going to assess it, and we’ve been doing that throughout the past couple of weeks, but he is getting closer. He is feeling really, really good. When that translates to him having a full performance, we’ll rely on the medical team.”
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O’Connell re-emphasized once again that the Vikings will play it smart with their star wide receiver. “Until we kind of feel like he’s at that place, which could come tomorrow, it could come just in time for Monday night, or maybe if it gets down to it, it is post-bye. We’re just going to continue to be smart.
“We want to give him every opportunity to do that, but we’re not going to let any other outside circumstances or the circumstances of our team to drive that decision in any way, shape, or form,” stated O’Connell. “We started out with some really strong principles and making sure Justin was at a good place and 100% healthy when he would return.”
While not so much was given in the form of an injury update from O’Connell, it does suggest that there is not a set timeline for Jefferson to return. It will simply be about when he is 100% healthy. That means Jefferson’s status remains very much up in the air for Week 12.
With the bye in Week 13, Minnesota needs to decide if having Jefferson for Week 12 is worth the risk of a one-week ramp-up before a week off. It may very well be that the Vikings are willing to wait one more game and get two more weeks of recovery time.
That should ensure Jefferson is at 100% when they return to the field in Week 14, although fantasy managers may not be happy with the decision.
What Does This Mean for the Fantasy Value of Jefferson, Jordan Addison, K.J. Osborn, and Brandon Powell?
If you haven’t traded Jefferson to this point, you probably aren’t going to be convinced to now. It all comes down to your personal situation. If your team looks set for a playoff berth, you can afford to wait two more weeks to get him back at 100% and ready for fantasy playoffs. But if you need help right now, you may have to try and trade him for a starting option in Weeks 12 and 13.
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Jordan Addison’s value is somewhat tricky because since Kirk Cousins got injured, he hasn’t been a reliable fantasy option. In the past three weeks, Addison has 165 receiving yards on 12 receptions from 20 targets.
He and Joshua Dobbs have not found that connection, making him tricky to start with confidence. Jefferson returning shouldn’t impact his playing time or opportunities too much, though.
K.J. Osborn returned last week, and you could see that he just hasn’t had time to develop chemistry with Dobbs. The WR missed Dobbs’ first full week of practice due to a concussion and saw just two targets in Week 11. Osborn could be the WR at risk of sliding out of three-WR sets when Jefferson returns.
Brandon Powell, meanwhile, could see any value completely diminish when Jefferson returns. The last two weeks have seen him post 67 receiving yards on seven receptions and nine targets. He has been the WR2 in this offense in the past couple of weeks but, at best, would be the WR3 and the fourth pass-catching option when Jefferson returns.
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