Nailor showed some promise last year, scoring six touchdowns and averaging 9.9 yards per target. But he never saw more than five targets in a game and only reached that mark twice all year. He'll open the year as a WR3 behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison but he will also likely be behind T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones in the target pecking order. If the Vikings suffer an injury at wide receiver or perhaps while Addison serves his three-game suspension, then it's possible Nailor could be added off the waiver wire, but you can ignore him on draft day.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that Nailor (hand) is week-to-week, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Nailor had his hand jammed up during practice last Thursday and missed Minnesota's 20-12 preseason loss to New England on Saturday as a result, and it now looks like he also could be in danger of sitting out the team's preseason finale against Tennessee on Friday. At the very least, with three weeks to get healthy before Week 1 against the Bears on Monday, Sept. 8, Nailor should be a full-go for the regular season. Justin Jefferson (hamstring) is returning to practice Monday, but with Jordan Addison (suspension) out until Week 4, Nailor looks in line to kick off the year benefiting from an expanded role on offense.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Doesn't play Saturday
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Nailor (hand) did not play in the Minnesota's 20-12 preseason loss to New England on Saturday, Craig Peters of the Vikings' official site reports.
Nailor has been dealing with a hand injury, and he joined the rest of the Vikings' starters on the sidelines for Saturday's exhibition contest. It's unclear how severe the injury is, but Nailor's practice participation ahead of the Vikings' preseason finale against the Titans on Friday should shed some light on the matter. The 2022 sixth-rounder is expected to see a larger role in Minnesota's offense early on in the regular season due Jordan Addison being suspended for the first three games.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Will get hand checked out
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Coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that Nailor is dealing with a hand injury, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Nailor will have his hand issue evaluated, but his status for Saturday's preseason contest against the Patriots now is cloudy. With top wideout Justin Jefferson managing a hamstring injury and Jordan Addison (suspension) out the first three games of the regular season, however, it wouldn't surprise us to see the Vikings err on the side of caution with Nailor.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Larger role with Addison out
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Nailor should have a significant role in the passing game as the No. 2 receiver to begin the season with Jordan Addison suspended the first three games for violating the league's Substances of Abuse Policy, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Addison's suspension relates to a 2024 DUI citation. Nailor worked as the No. 2 receiver last season when Addison missed two games with an ankle injury. Nailor entered camp in competition for the No. 3 WR role, but by all accounts has won the job. Lucky Jackson and Tai Felton are the leading candidates for the No. 3 role while Addison is unavailable.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Puts forth career year
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Nailor secured 28 of 42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns across 17 regular-season appearances with the Vikings in 2024. He also rushed three times for minus-four yards and lost one fumble.
Nailor also secured three of five targets for 33 yards during Minnesota's wild-card round loss to the Rams. The 2022 sixth-round pick set new career-high marks across the board in his third season with the Vikings, stepping up as the team's No. 3 receiver behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. He's now heading into the final year of his rookie deal with Minnesota.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Scores touchdown against Packers
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Nailor caught all five of his targets for 81 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-25 win over the Packers.
Nailor's catch and yardage totals were both season highs. Despite having his best statistical game of the season, Nailor remains difficult to trust for fantasy purposes after earning no more than three targets in any of his eight prior appearances before Sunday.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Week 18 Waiver Priority List
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Nailor is in play in Week 18 because the Lions secondary will struggle to stop Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and Nailor can have another outing like we saw in Week 17 against Green Bay. He had five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown on five targets against the Packers, and Nailor also had four catches for 76 yards on five targets against Detroit in Week 7. Nailor can be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in deeper leagues in Week 18.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Little activity in win
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Nailor did not have a target or carry in Sunday's win over Atlanta.
Nailor played on 24 of the offense's 60 snaps and went out on 20 routes, but his role continues to shrink after the return of T.J. Hockenson from a knee injury. He has just nine targets and four receptions the last six games despite being the team's primary No. 3 receiver.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Catches another touchdown Sunday
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Nailor caught one of his two targets for five yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 30-27 overtime win at Chicago.
Nailor only played 25 offensive snaps in Week 12, but he came up with his fifth touchdown reception of the season to put the Vikings up 14-7 in the second quarter. He still lagged in targets (two) behind Jordan Addison (nine) and Justin Jefferson (five), and he will continue to be dependent upon touchdowns for fantasy production as long as those two remain available.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Two drops Sunday
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Nailor did not have a catch on two targets in Sunday's win at Tennessee. He had two drops, according to Pro Football Focus, including a difficult, but catchable, pass attempt in the end zone.
Nailor worked as the third receiver as he played on 32 of the offense's 73 snaps. However, his drops could allow Trent Sherfield and Brandon Powell to get more time in three-receiver sets.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Hits pay dirt in win
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Nailor caught his lone target for seven yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 21-13 win over the Colts.
Nailor's touchdown Sunday was his fourth trip to the end zone through eight games this season. The 25-year-old continues to see steady involvement in Minnesota's offense as the No. 3 wideout, earning multiple targets in all but two games. With that said, Nailor is difficult to trust for fantasy purposes based on his inconsistent and modest production while also being touchdown-dependent. The Vikings will visit the Jaguars in Week 10.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Productive in loss to Detroit
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Nailor had four receptions for 76 yards on five targets in Sunday's loss to Detroit.
After failing to register a target in a Week 5 win over the Jets, Nailor was active and second in the team in targets. He played on 44 of the offense's 60 snaps as he'll be involved when the team uses three-receiver sets. However, his production will likely be erratic as a distant third option behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Nailor's No. 3 receiver role also could be reduced if T.J. Hockenson is able to return from a knee injury Thursday against the Rams.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: No targets in win
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Nailor didn't have a target or carry in Sunday's win over the Jets in London.
Nailor played on 41 of the offense's 73 snaps and went out on 25 routes, according to Pro Football Focus. He's getting time in the offense as the third receiver but may not get many targets as long as Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are healthy. Nailor's role could be reduced further if T.J. Hockenson is able to return from a knee injury after Minnesota's bye in Week 6.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Scores again in Sunday's win
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Nailor caught three of four targets for 31 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-7 win over the Texans.
While he didn't see big volume once again, even with Jordan Addison (ankle) sidelined, Nailor still extended his season-opening TD streak to three games with a four-yard reception from Sam Darnold in the third quarter. Nailor has yet to see more than four targets in a game, so his production so far has been almost entirely dependent on his trips to the end zone, but he'll look to hit pay dirt again in Week 4 against the Packers.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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We don't know how long Jordan Addison (ankle) will be out, so Nailor could have an expanded role for the Vikings opposite Justin Jefferson. In Week 1 at the Giants, Nailor had one catch for a 21-yard touchdown on one target, and we'll see what happens with Addison heading into Week 2 against San Francisco. In deeper leagues, Nailor is worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Good to go
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Nailor (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game at the Giants.
Nailor followed the same practice pattern as Jordan Addison (ankle), closing out the week with a full session after being limited Wednesday and Thursday. Nailor is expected to open the season as Minnesota's No. 3 wide receiver, but it's not clear exactly what that will mean in terms of his quantity of snaps and targets. Last year, K.J. Osborn handled the No. 3 WR role in coach Kevin O'Connell's offense and averaged just 4.7 targets per game even though the Vikings averaged 37.1 pass attempts and Justin Jefferson missed a large chunk of the season.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Limited again Thursday
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Nailor (ankle) practiced on a limited basis Thursday.
The Vikings' Week 1 injury report includes just two players, but the other one aside from Nailor is Jordan Addison (ankle). Both wide receivers have operated with caps on their practice reps Wednesday and Thursday, but coach Kevin O'Connell has acknowledged that Nailor is a few days behind Addison in his recovery, per Alec Lewis of The Athletic. Friday's report may provide clarity into whether one or both of them is on track to suit up Sunday at the Giants.
Nailor (ankle) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.
Mere hours after head coach Kevin O'Connell told Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that Nailor may have a cap on his reps Wednesday due to an ankle injury, the third-year receiver upheld that comment. Both Jordan Addison (ankle) and Nailor are in the same boat this week, so their activity levels will be monitored over the next two days to get a sense of their respective chances of playing in Sunday's season opener at the Giants. Nailor is entering the 2024 campaign as the Vikings' No. 3 wideout behind Justin Jefferson and Addison, but in 21 career appearances so far, he's managed just 12 catches (on 19 targets) for 228 yards and one touchdown.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Dealing with ankle injury
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Nailor is dealing with an ankle injury and may have practice limitations this week, Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell suggested Wednesday that he won't have a good idea until later in the week about the wideout's availability for Sunday's season opener at the Giants. After missing most of last season with hamstring injuries and then a concussion, Nailor seemingly won Minnesota's No. 3 receiver job this summer, emerging ahead of Brandon Powell, Trishton Jackson and Trent Sherfield. The good news for Minnesota is that O'Connell sounded more optimistic about the status of No. 2 receiver Jordan Addison, who has been bothered by an ankle sprain since mid-August.
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Vikings' Jalen Nailor: Another strong preseason game
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Nailor had one reception for 31 yards on two targets in Saturday's preseason win over Cleveland.
Nailor started at outside receiver and played just 19 snaps as the Vikings rested most of their starting offense. He built upon an impressive first preseason game and has a strong hold on the No. 3 receiver job at this point in the preseason over Brandon Powell. The No. 3 receiver role could have significant fantasy value with tight end T.J. Hockenson set to miss several games coming back from a torn ACL and Jordan Addison facing a potential suspension for a DUI charge.
