Jefferson is a surefire first-round pick in all one-QB leagues and one of the top five wide receivers in all formats. Where you take him in Round 1 will be dependent on your confidence in first-year starter J.J. McCarthy. Before you get too concerned about McCarthy, it is worth remembering that Sam Darnold was a castaway before his success with Minnesota in 2024, when Jefferson averaged 18.7 PPR points per game, and that Jefferson averaged 119 yards per game in his final four games of 2023 with a collection of backup quarterbacks. He is as quarterback-proof as a wide receiver can get and a constant threat to be the best player in Fantasy any given week or season. You could reasonably draft him over anyone not named Bijan Robinson or Ja'Marr Chase.
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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Progressing but won't practice
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Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that Jefferson (hamstring) is "definitely progressing" but won't be re-evaluated to potentially practice until next week, ruling him out for Saturday's preseason game against the Patriots, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reports.
Minnesota continues to take a cautious approach to the star wide receiver's recovery from a hamstring injury, but O'Connell said the hope is for Jefferson to begin ramping up his workload next week, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. He'll be limited to walk-throughs during joint practices with New England, for the time being. It remains to be seen whether Jefferson could have a chance to suit up for the Vikings' preseason finale against Tennessee on Friday, Aug. 22. With Jordan Addison (suspension) out the first three games of the regular season, it's increasingly crucial for J.J. McCarthy and company that Jefferson is available Week 1.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Not in line to play Saturday
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Remains sidelined
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Tending to mild hamstring strain
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Sits out end of practice
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Disappointing in wild-card loss
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Held in check Sunday
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Makes light work of Seahawks
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Signature performance in win
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Makes history in Sunday's win
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Quiet in OT win
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Leading receiver in win
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Top DFS Play
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Leading receiver on SNF
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Finds end zone in win
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: No concern about hand injury
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Avoids final injury report
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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.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: No concern for Week 3 availability
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Jefferson (quadricep) remained a limited participant in practice Thursday for the second day in a row, but he said afterward that he "for sure" plans to play Sunday against the Texans, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
Jefferson is tending to a bruised right quad in the aftermath of Sunday's win over the 49ers, but he said his body feels "great," and he's continuing to work with the Minnesota training staff to ensure he's in optimal condition by the weekend. A blowout win over the Giants in Week 2 and the injury in Week 2 have played a part in limiting Jefferson to six and seven targets in those respective contests, but he still ranks in the top five in the NFL in both receiving yards (192) and receiving touchdowns (two) through the first two weeks of the season.
