Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Continues surge in London win
Rotowire
Jefferson brought in seven of 11 targets for 123 yards in the Vikings' 21-17 win over the Browns in London on Sunday.
Jefferson paced the Vikings in receptions, receiving yards and targets on the day, turning in his second consecutive 100-yard effort in the process. His final reception of the contest was especially critical, as he came down with a 21-yard grab to take the ball to the Browns' 27 yard-line with under two minutes remaining on Minnesota's game-winning drive. Jefferson has displayed excellent chemistry with fill-in signal-caller Carson Wentz over the last pair of contests, but J.J. McCarthy (ankle) may be set to return to action when the Vikings come out of a Week 6 bye to host the Eagles on Sunday, Oct. 19.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Records TD grab in win
Rotowire
Jefferson secured four of seven targets for 44 yards and a touchdown and rushed once for four yards in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night.
Like the rest of the Vikings offense, Jefferson had a mostly forgettable first three quarters. However, the star wideout eventually finished with team-high reception and target totals, and he recorded his first touchdown from J.J. McCarthy on a 13-yard grab early in the fourth quarter. Jefferson should naturally serve as McCarthy's top target as the season unfolds, and it was clear the second-year signal-caller was still getting acclimated to the NFL game in a tough road environment Monday night after a knee injury wiped out his entire 2024 rookie campaign. Jefferson will be in what should be more favorable conditions for strong production when the Vikings get a visit from the Falcons for a Week 2 home matchup on Sunday night.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Returning to practice
Rotowire
Jefferson (hamstring) will begin practicing, head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Jefferson has been sidelined since late July by what has been described as a mild left hamstring strain, but the star wide receiver is ready to start ramping up his activity level. Per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, Jefferson will participate in part of Monday's practice. Though Jefferson hasn't yet been cleared to participate in team drills without limitations, this development nonetheless is a step in the right direction. Jefferson's goal is to be ready for Week 1 against the Bears on Monday, Sept. 8, but he's unlikely to suit up for Friday's preseason finale against the Titans.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Not in line to play Saturday
Rotowire
Jefferson (hamstring) is not slated to play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Texans.
No surprise here, given that Jefferson is managing a mild left hamstring strain that he sustained July 24. It remains to be seen if the wideout is a candidate to play in the Vikings' Aug. 16 preseason contest against the Patriots, but there's little incentive for him to be rushed back into game action, with his Week 1 availability remaining the priority here.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Remains sidelined
Rotowire
Jefferson (hamstring) isn't practicing Wednesday, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
The Vikings continue to take a cautious approach with Jefferson as he recovers from the mild left hamstring strain that he sustained July 24. As recently as last Friday, though, he was spotted working out with trainers on a side field, indicating he at least has made some progress. Whether or not Jefferson makes an appearance in the preseason may be contingent on second-year QB J.J. McCarthy getting into another exhibition beyond this Saturday's matchup with the Texans. Ultimately, ensuring Jefferson is healthy by Week 1 is Minnesota's primary priority.
Coach Kevin O'Connell said Tuesday that the Vikings have "zero worry" about Jefferson's (hamstring) availability for a Week 1 road matchup with the Bears on Monday, Sept. 8, Emily Leiker of The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Jefferson came out of last Thursday's practice with what was later termed a mild left hamstring strain. In the meantime, he's sat out on-field work but still has been present at all but one session on the schedule, coaching up fellow wide receivers on reps, good and bad. "Rehab's going really well," O'Connell noted. "Already progressing. Could end up being a blessing in disguise in a lot of ways, where Justin's mentally preparing and engaging with his teammates. He's totally and completely present every single day." Minnesota understandably will take a cautious approach with its top skill-position talent on the roster, but it'll be interesting to see if Jefferson and second-year signal-caller J.J. McCarthy log some preseason action together ahead of the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Tending to mild hamstring strain
Rotowire
Coach Kevin O'Connell said Friday that Jefferson is dealing with a mild left hamstring strain, and the Vikings will evaluate the wide receiver again next week, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Jefferson didn't participate in the last handful of drills at Thursday's practice due what initially was called tightness in his legs. With a diagnosis now honed in on, Minnesota will take a cautious approach with its top offensive weapon, and there's no worry at this time regarding his potential to play Week 1 at Chicago, which is more than six weeks in the future.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Sits out end of practice
Rotowire
Jefferson sat out the end of Thursday's practice after experiencing some mild tightness in his legs, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
That said, Seifert indicates that there are no concerns for Jefferson, even in the short term, but on just the second day of training camp the wideout elected to not push things, per Alec Lewis of The Athletic. As the coming season approaches, Jefferson is poised to maintain his high-volume role in a Minnesota passing offense that's now directed by 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Disappointing in wild-card loss
Rotowire
Jefferson secured five of eight targets for 58 yards in the Vikings' 27-9 wild-card loss to the Rams on Monday.
Jefferson's ordinary stat line Monday underscores how effective the Rams defense was versus Minnesota's air attack while getting to Sam Darnold for a remarkable nine sacks. The constant pressure combined with the extra attention paid to Jefferson made it difficult for the supremely talented receiver to get loose downfield for his trademark long gains, and although he finished tied for the team lead in both targets and receptions, his yardage total left plenty to be desired. Jefferson displayed plenty of chemistry with Darnold while posting the third-highest reception and receiving yardage totals of his career during the regular season, finishing with 103 catches for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns over 17 games. The standout receiver, who will be entering the first season of his four-year, $140 million extension in 2025, may be operating with a new quarterback. Darnold is set to become a free agent, and the Vikings invested a 2024 first-round pick in J.J. McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie campaign with a knee injury but remains a promising prospect.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Held in check Sunday
Rotowire
Jefferson was held to three receptions on nine targets for 54 yards in Sunday's 31-9 blowout loss to Detroit.
Jefferson had an uncharacteristically poor game which featured several drops (one of which hit him in the hands in the end zone) en route to his worst catch rate of the season (33 percent). The superstar still finished with a stellar 103-1,533-10 stat line this regular season as Sam Darnold's emergence in 2024 helped lift his No. 1 wideout back to numbers fantasy managers were accustomed to during the Kirk Cousins era in Minnesota. Jefferson and the Vikings will have to lick their collective wounds from this ugly loss ahead of next Monday's road playoff tilt against the Rams.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Makes light work of Seahawks
Rotowire
Jefferson corralled 10 of 13 targets for 144 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Sunday's 27-24 win over Seattle.
Jefferson dropped another standout performance that set a new high-water mark in receiving yards in addition to scoring his ninth and tenth touchdowns of the season. The superstar wideout put an exclamation point on the contest by taking the top off the Seahawks' secondary late in the fourth quarter for the game-winning score. After enduring a scoreless streak between Weeks 8 and 13, Jefferson has now rattled off five touchdowns over his last three starts. Managers will be excited to see what the fantasy stud has in store for next Sunday's divisional matchup against Green Bay.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Signature performance in win
Rotowire
Jefferson secured all seven targets for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the Vikings' 42-21 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
Jefferson finished just a reception and receiving yard shy of tying Jordan Addison for the team lead in both categories, but he enjoyed a highly efficient afternoon during which he finished with his third-highest receiving yardage total of the campaign. Jefferson also crossed the goal line for the first time since Week 7 with 12- and 52-yard touchdown grabs in the second and third quarters, respectively. The standout receiver has at least 81 receiving yards in three of the last four games heading into a Week 15 home divisional clash against the Bears on Monday night, Dec. 16.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Makes history in Sunday's win
Rotowire
Jefferson caught seven of nine targets for 99 yards in Sunday's 23-22 win over the Cardinals.
Arizona's pass rush sacked Sam Darnold five times on the day, and that pressure kept the QB from finding his top receiver much in the first half. Jefferson came up big down the stretch though as the Vikings completed a comeback from a 19-6 deficit. The fifth-year wideout blew past the 1,000-yard mark in the process, becoming just the fourth player in NFL history to reach that milestone in each of his first five seasons -- a club that includes former Minnesota star Randy Moss, as well as A.J. Green and Mike Evans. Jefferson has gone four straight games without putting up 100 yards and six straight without getting into the end zone, droughts he'll look to break in Week 14 against the Falcons.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Quiet in OT win
Rotowire
Jefferson recorded two receptions on five targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 30-27 overtime win against the Bears.
Sam Darnold ripped through the Chicago secondary to record seven completions of at least 20 yards, making Jefferson's line even more disappointing. He did have a 40-yard touchdown nullified late in the fourth quarter by offensive pass interference on an apparent pick play. Jefferson has now failed to reach 100 receiving yards in three consecutive contests.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Leading receiver in win
Rotowire
Jefferson brought in six of eight targets for 81 yards in Sunday's 23-13 win over the Titans.
Jefferson led the Vikings in all receiving categories as he usually does, but he was left scoreless after both of Sam Darnold's passing touchdowns went to a pair of running backs. It was still a solid fantasy effort from Jefferson, who now has 59 receptions for 912 yards and five touchdowns through 10 contests. The superstar wideout is a clear-cut WR1 for Week 12 when Minnesota visits Chicago next Sunday.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Top DFS Play
Rotowire
Ja'Marr Chase is playing on Thursday, CeeDee Lamb lost his QB, and Nico Collins is returning from an extended absence. That makes Justin Jefferson the pretty clear top option in cash games. It doesn't hurt that his opponent has allowed the third-most Fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Leading receiver on SNF
Rotowire
Jefferson hauled in seven of nine targets for 137 yards while completing his only pass attempt for 22 yards in Sunday's 21-13 win over the Colts.
Jefferson posted his usual WR1 stat line in a winning effort, but he also contributed 22 passing yards on a successful trick play. The superstar wideout upped his season line to 67-783-5 through eight starts, showing little dropoff with new starter Sam Darnold this season. Jefferson remains a must-start asset in all fantasy formats heading into a positive matchup against the Jaguars next Sunday.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Finds end zone in win
Rotowire
Jefferson secured six of eight targets for 85 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 31-29 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Jefferson was in the customary position of leading the Vikings in receptions, receiving yards and targets, and he was able to record his fourth touchdown in as many games to open the season via a 14-yard grab with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter. The star wideout now has back-to-back eight-target games and at least 81 receiving yards in three straight contests heading into a Week 5 matchup against the Jets in London.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: No concern about hand injury
Rotowire
Head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that the Vikings have no concern about Jefferson's availability for Sunday's game against the Packers after the receiver jammed a finger on his right hand in a Week 3 win over the Texans, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The jammed finger may have contributed to the drop that Jefferson had on one of his two targets in the second half of the 34-7 win over the Texans, though he produced well enough in the first two quarters (six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown on six targets) to satisfy fantasy managers. While Jefferson was sent for X-rays after the game, the scans revealed no fractures to any of his fingers. He may be dealing with some discomfort, but the issue shouldn't affect his playing time and usage in Week 4.
... See More... See Less
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Avoids final injury report
Rotowire
Jefferson (quadriceps) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against Houston, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
As promised by the man himself, Jefferson will be out there Sunday as the Vikings try for a surprising 3-0 start. Fellow wideout Jordan Addison (ankle) has been ruled out, but coach Kevin O'Connell told Goessling on Friday that Addison should have a good chance to return Week 4 against Green Bay.
