Minnesota Vikings

Kyler Murray

Murray's 2022 campaign got off to a sluggish start across his first seven starts, producing just one standout fantasy performance (305 combined yards and two touchdowns) alongside a pair of playable outings (22.55 and 25.95 points in four-point passing TD formats). A Week 8 surge (362/3) briefly hinted at a turnaround before a hamstring injury and torn left ACL wiped out most of his remaining season. He showed his most consistent rushing form over his last five full starts (38/382/1), but his passing efficiency cratered to a career-worst 6.1 yards per attempt, with zero completions of 40 or more yards all year.

Arizona eased Murray into their lineup in Week 10 in 2023, and despite still working his way back from knee surgery, he was a more effective runner than most anticipated (44/244/3 yards across eight starts. He scored between 20.00 and 27.00 fantasy points in six games, even though his passing game produced just one productive outing (232/3). His 6.7 yards per attempt was a modest improvement, and extrapolating his final stat line across a full 17-game season would have placed him sixth among quarterbacks.

Murray rebounded in 2024, finishing 10th in fantasy scoring at 350.75 points in four-point passing TD leagues. Three of his best games (325/3, 287/3, and 264/4) all came at home, and his best passing weeks arrived in Week 8 (307/2) and Week 17 (321/1). On the ground, he averaged 7.3 yards per carry and totaled 78 attempts for 572 yards and five touchdowns, his strongest rushing season since 2020. The one persistent weakness remained deep passing. Murray connected on just four completions of 40-plus yards over the last three seasons combined (36 games), a notable decline from the 24 he produced across 2019 and 2020.

A foot sprain in 2025 led to Murray missing the final 12 games of the year. He opened the season with a dink-and-dunk approach to the passing game (6.0 yards per pass attempt), helping his completion rate (68.3%). His legs (29/183/1) aligned with his recent career path while failing to fire in the passing game (163/2, 220/1, 159/1, 200/2, and 220/0). The success of the Cardinals’ passing game and receiving production after Murray went down with an injury should be more of a red flag about his ceiling as an NFL-winning quarterback.

Murray comes into the summer as a mid-tier QB2 (ranked 18th) in the National Fantasy Football Championship. His career body of work, matched up with his receiving talent, suggests 4,500 combined yards with a run at 30 combined touchdowns. Based on his price point, I’m intrigued by him as a late-value quarterback.

J.J. McCarthy→ his ranking

Michigan handed McCarthy 28 starts across two seasons, and he made the most of them, going 27-1 with a National Championship in 2023. The win-loss record speaks for itself, but his raw numbers were less eye-popping: 6,226 passing yards, 49 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. In his title-winning 2023 campaign, he averaged just 22.1 pass attempts per game while generating 3,193 combined yards and 25 touchdowns, but his 72.3% completion rate and 9.0 yards per attempt placed him in elite company.

The tension in evaluating McCarthy is balancing his winning pedigree against the game-manager label that follows him. He's at his best throwing on the move, particularly breaking right, and repeatedly delivers completions into tight windows. He's also a capable chain-mover with his legs and has a knack for keeping plays alive when the pocket collapses. One quiet strength: he was sacked on only 5.6% of his attempts across 2022 and 2023 (37 total over 654 drop-backs), a rate that would have ranked better than seven NFL teams in 2023. His pro ceiling will hinge heavily on the talent around him and whether his offensive line can give him a clean pocket. The Brady-Michigan connection and Brock Purdy's underdog arc have also nudged him up draft boards in ways that go beyond his numbers.

His college supporting cast was strong. Blake Corum shouldered the backfield workload (258/1,245/27 with 16 catches) while McCarthy connected with running backs on 50 passes in 2023, nearly one in five of the team's completions. Wide receiver Roman Wilson led the pass-catchers with 48 receptions for 789 yards and 12 scores. Minnesota selected McCarthy 10th overall in the 2024 draft.

The Vikings have historically wanted to push the ball downfield, throwing it 672 and 632 times in 2022 and 2023, but McCarthy's rookie season was lost before it started when he tore his right ACL in early August. That opened the door for Sam Darnold, who had a career year running an offense that threw 548 times, a lower volume that helped Minnesota control the clock and limit the strain on its defense.

McCarthy inherited one of the more enviable skill position groups in the league. Unfortunately, he struggled to make plays (57.6% completion rate) while taking 27 sacks across 243 pass attempts (10.0% sack rate). Defenses literally beat him up (70 blitzes), leading to ankle and hand injuries, along with a concussion. McCarthy missed seven games. His best fantasy value came in Week 1 (24.65), Week 9 (21.35), Week 14 (22.05), and Week 15 (27.00). In each of those matchups, he attempted only 92 passes (23 per game).

Aaron Jones→ his ranking

Jones surpassed 1,400 combined yards for the third time in 2022, also setting a personal best with 59 receptions. He was a notably different player depending on the venue; at home, he produced 932 combined yards, four touchdowns, and 28 catches, while road games yielded 584 combined yards, three scores, and 31 receptions. He topped 100 yards in six games and saw the same snap rate (57.6%) as the prior year despite playing two additional games.

Injuries derailed his 2023 season, as hamstring and knee problems limited Jones to just 11 games and a six-year low of 879 combined yards to go with three touchdowns and 30 catches. His per-touch efficiency remained intact (4.6 yards per carry, 7.8 per reception), and he was at his best down the stretch, closing the regular season and postseason on a strong note over his final five games (102/584/3 with 11 catches for 69 yards, 18.86 FPPG). His highlight was a dominant playoff performance against Dallas (21/118/3 with one catch for 13 yards).

At 29, Jones posted a career-high 306 touches in 2024 with Minnesota, translating to 1,546 combined yards, seven touchdowns, and 51 receptions. His explosiveness held up (4.5 yards per rush, 8.0 per catch, and 20-plus-yard gains on seven occasions). The Vikings fed him 20 or more touches in seven games, with his best rushing outings coming in Week 3 (19/102) and Week 12 (22/106/1). He logged 63.2% of the team's snaps despite working through hip, hamstring, rib, back, and quad ailments throughout the year.

From a fantasy standpoint, Jones offered reliability more than upside, just two bust outcomes, and a floor of 10.80 points across 15 PPR matchups. His touchdown production (7) kept his ceiling modest, with a season-high of only 25.80 fantasy points. Jones is the 27th running back drafted after ranking 15th in fantasy points (244.60) in 2024.

He comes off his worst season since 2017. Jones gained 747 combined yards with three touchdowns and 28 catches on 160 touches. The Vikings gave him RB2 snaps across his first two games (13/43 with three catches for 44 yards and one touchdown), followed by four missed weeks due to a hamstring injury. Over his final 10 matchups, he played through shoulder and hip injuries, leading to him averaging only 10.27 PPR fantasy points. Jones never rushed for more than 85 yards or scored more than 16.00 fantasy points in a game.

Jordan Mason→ his ranking

Mason spent four seasons in a complementary backfield role at Georgia Tech, accumulating 2,823 combined yards, 18 touchdowns, and 25 catches before going undrafted in 2022 and signing with San Francisco. His first two years with the 49ers were quiet — 43 carries for 258 yards and a score in year one, followed by 40 carries for 206 yards in year two, with a combined three catches for 31 yards across both seasons.

Injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell thrust Mason into the starting lineup in Week 1 in 2024, and he made an immediate impression. Over his first four games, Mason absorbed 97 touches and rewarded those who took a chance on him in fantasy, producing 91 carries for 447 yards and three touchdowns alongside six catches for 57 yards (74.40 points in PPR formats across that stretch).

His hot start didn't last. Mason’s next three outings yielded just 9.80, 9.20, and 8.90 fantasy points, and a shoulder injury in Week 6 was the beginning of the end. A high ankle sprain eventually shut him down for the season, and between the two ailments, he was essentially a non-factor down the stretch (25 carries for 122 yards and a single catch for five yards over his remaining appearances).

It's a recurring theme with Mason. His NFL career has been punctuated by a laundry list of physical setbacks (hamstring, foot, hip, shoulder, and ankle issues), making durability the central question whenever his name surfaces in fantasy conversations.

Mason had a strange first season for the Vikings. He has RB1 snaps over his first six games (84/380/4 with nine catches for 84 yards), leading 12.40 PPR fantasy points per game. With Aaron Jones back on the field, Minnesota gave him only 8.6 touches over his last 11 games despite him gaining 4.8 yards per rush. Mason scored fewer than 6.00 fantasy points seven times down the stretch.

Demond Claiborne→ his ranking

Following a breakout 2024 campaign (251/1,303/13 with 23 catches), Claiborne took a step back last season. He was more efficient on the ground (5.1 yards per carry), but 49 fewer attempts pushed his rushing total lower (907 yards and 10 scores). His value in the passing game was a relative non-factor: 28 catches for 140 yards (5.0 per reception) and no touchdowns. Claiborne’s final six games of 2025 were particularly concerning, as he barely held onto a starting-caliber workload (110 carries for 368 yards – 3.3 per carry) with 12 catches for 67 yards over that stretch.

His physical tools are legitimate. Claiborne ran a 4.37 at the 2026 NFL Combine and plays with the burst to match. At 5'10" and 190 pounds, he's built more for open space than grinding through traffic. Claiborne has natural vision and the quickness to redirect and turn nothing into something at the second level. His problem surfaces when the lane isn't there, as he struggles to generate yards against a compressed line of scrimmage, and a below-average offensive line will expose that limitation quickly.

Pass protection is another concern that will keep his snap count and touch ceiling in check early in his career. His overall profile fits best as a change-of-pace back with receiving upside, the kind of back who can be electric in the right situation but unreliable as a true feature back.

Justin Jefferson→ his ranking

Jefferson authored one of the great individual wide receiver seasons in recent memory in 2022, leading the league in catches (128), receiving yards (1,809), and targets (184) while topping all wideouts in PPR fantasy scoring at 369.00 points. Seven of his games were elite, highlighted by three outcomes (10/193/1, 11/223, and 12/133/1), but his four clunkers (3/14, 3/33, 1/15, and 4/38) kept him from a perfect floor. The Vikings fed him double-digit targets in 11 starts, and he rewarded that volume with at least 10 catches on six occasions.

He carried that momentum into the first quarter of 2023, stringing together four dominant outings (9/150, 11/159, 7/149/1, and 6/85/2) before a hamstring injury in Week 5 cost Jefferson seven games. A chest problem forced another early exit in Week 14. Despite being limited to roughly eight full weeks of action, he still finished with 68 catches, 1,074 yards, and five touchdowns, a testament to how dominant Jefferson was when available. His final four starts included two standout performances (6/141/1 and 12/192/1) that kept fantasy managers invested to the end.

Jefferson's fifth Minnesota season extended his streak of 1,000-yard campaigns to five consecutive years, and his counting stats across the board were strong (103 catches, 1,533 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 154 targets). The 100-yard games were harder to come by, with just five on the year (highlighted by a 10/144/2 effort), but he demonstrated a more reliable floor in the second half of the season, recording at least seven catches in eight games after Week 6.

Across his first 77 career games with Minnesota, Jefferson has been as consistent as any receiver in the league, averaging 6.4 catches, 97 yards, and 0.53 touchdowns per game (19.28 FPPG), with 131 of his catches (26.5%) going for 20 or more yards.

Despite poor quarterback play in 2025, Jefferson reached 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth time, but he had a severe drop in value (WR21 – 201.50 PPR fantasy points) due to scoring only twice. Minnesota looked his way 141 times (8.3 per game – 59.6% catch rate). Jefferson gained over 100 yards only three times (10/126, 7/123, and 8/101) while having five catches or fewer in 11 of his 17 starts.

He’s scored over 300.00 fantasy points three times in his career (332.80, 367.10, and 317.70), so I would jump at the opportunity to draft Jefferson at a value. His floor in 2026 should be 100 catches for 1,500 yards and seven touchdowns.

Jordan Addison→ his ranking

Minnesota used a first-round pick on Addison in the 2023 draft, adding an undersized pass-catcher (5'11" and 175 pounds) to a receiver room that has leaned into that mold. What he lacks in size, he compensates for with exceptional quickness and crisp route running underneath. Adding strength and bulk remains a developmental priority. In his draft form, press coverage and contested catch situations are weaknesses. Addison does bring a secondary dimension as a kick returner, which adds value beyond his receiving role.

His college resume is impressive across 35 games (219 catches for 3,281 yards and 30 touchdowns on 318 targets). His 2021 breakout at Pitt (100/1,649/18) announced him as a legitimate prospect, and even with an injury-shortened 2022 season at USC (an ankle problem cost him three games). Addison still produced 59 catches for 875 yards and eight scores in 11 games. His ceiling was on full display in six standout college performances, including a 14/202/4 line and back-to-back games of 7/171/1 and 7/172/2.

As a rookie, Addison caught 70 of 108 targets for 913 yards and 10 touchdowns, finishing 23rd among wide receivers in PPR scoring at 221.30 points. Seven of his 10 scores came in his first eight games, with his best outings arriving in Week 7 (7/123/2) and Week 15 (6/111/2). Four empty performances (including a 0/0 and a 1/2) were the low points of an otherwise encouraging debut.

His sophomore season got off to a rocky start, a quiet Week 1 (3/35) followed by two games missed with an ankle injury. Addison found his rhythm over the back half of the year. The Vikings targeted him eight or more times in seven of his final nine games, and he delivered two standout performances (8/162/1 and 8/133/3). Addison finished 22nd in wide receiver PPR scoring at 212.50 points, with 21 catches for 324 yards and three scores on 37 targets after returning from injury.

Addison has compiled 133 catches for 1,766 yards and 19 touchdowns on 207 targets over his first 32 games, averaging 13.24 PPR fantasy points per game.

He opened last season with a three-game suspension followed by four playable fantasy games (4/114, 5/41/1, 9/128, and 3/26/1), which all came with Carson Wentz starting. Addison caught only 21 of his final 49 targets (42.9%) for 301 yards and one score. He turned his two carries into 81 yards and one touchdown. His season ended with him averaging 9.65 PPR fantasy points per game.

Jauan Jennings→ his ranking

Jennings was a complementary piece across five college seasons, finishing with 146 catches for 2,153 yards and 19 touchdowns on 213 targets. His most productive year came in 2019, when he hauled in 59 passes for 969 yards and eight scores on 92 targets.

He carved out a niche in his first season with meaningful snaps for San Francisco in 2021, using his 6'3", 210-pound frame to create mismatches in the passing game. Five of his 24 catches went for touchdowns, but his opportunities were sparse early, just 13 targets through his first 11 games (8/70/2). Jennings closed the year on a strong note, averaging five targets per game over his final five matchups (16/212/3), including a breakout Week 18 performance (6/94/2).

His role expanded in 2022, aided in part by a Deebo Samuel injury, and Jennings finished with 35 catches for 416 yards and one score on 56 targets. His production was largely quiet with just one useful fantasy outing (6/49/1), but San Francisco clearly saw enough to keep investing in him.

Despite a down 2023 (19/265/1), the 49ers signed him to a two-year, $15.4 million extension the following May. He made an impact in the postseason that year, contributing 5/61 and 4/42/1 across two playoff games.

His 2024 season captured everything that makes Jennings both intriguing and frustrating as a fantasy asset. He opened with back-to-back quiet games (5/64 and 2/37) before erupting in Week 3 with Samuel sidelined (an 11-catch, 175-yard, three-touchdown gem worth 46.50 PPR points), which alone accounted for 22.1% of his entire season fantasy total. The five weeks that followed brought a hip injury and three forgettable outings (3/88, 1/13, and 3/27 on just 15 combined targets).

Jennings steadied things over his final nine starts, catching 52 passes for 571 yards and three scores on 77 targets, with strong showings in Week 11 (10/91/1) and Week 14 (7/90/2). He finished 24th among wide receivers in PPR scoring at 210.50 points, but strip away his three best weeks (28 catches, 356 yards, six touchdowns) and what remains is a WR4-caliber player across his other 12 games (49/618/0 — 9.24 FPPG), which tells the real story of how difficult Jennings was to trust week to week.

Last year, Jennings was more sought after as a fantasy asset, but he crushed teams over his first six games (18 catches for 212 yards and one touchdown on 36 targets) while missing two games with ankle and rib issues. Over his next eight games (33/396/8 on 48 targets), Jennings scored between 12.00 and 19.00 PPR fantasy points seven times, lifting him to WR3 status for the season (174.30 fantasy points). Despite his progression, the 49ers gave him six targets or fewer in 12 of his games on the year.

Tai Felton→ his ranking

The Vikings added Felton in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft after a breakthrough season (96/1,147/9) at Maryland. Over his first 34 games in college, he caught 76 passes for 1,083 yards and eight touchdowns on 121 targets.

At 6’1” and 185 lbs., Felton isn’t where he needs to be in strength or bulk. He brings plus speed (4.37 40-yard dash). His route running must improve, and Felton will struggle in press coverage. He has the tools to take the top off a defense and create winning runs after the catch.

In his rookie season, Minnesota had Felton on the field for only 46 plays, leading to three catches for 25 yards. His role will be minimal again in 2026.

T.J. Hockenson→ his ranking

During his seven games with Detroit in 2022, Hockenson functioned as a deep tight end threat, averaging 15.2 yards per catch on his way to 26 receptions for 395 yards and three touchdowns on 43 targets. A single Week 4 explosion (8/179/2) accounted for a large chunk of that production. After being dealt to Minnesota, his role shifted. He became a reliable checkdown option for Kirk Cousins, recording at least five catches in eight of his 12 appearances, including the postseason, with two big games (13/109/2 and 10/129) mixed in. His combined season resulted in career bests across catches (86), receiving yards (914), and targets (129), and he finished second among tight ends in PPR scoring at 216.40 points.

His first full season in Minnesota only built on his previous foundation. Hockenson set new career highs in catches (95) and receiving yards (960), turning 13 of those receptions into gains of 20 or more yards despite working primarily underneath at 10.1 yards per catch. Hockenson was productive from the jump in 2023, posting three straight games with at least seven catches (8/35, 7/66/2, and 8/78), and his two best outings (11/86 and 11/134/1) both came at home. The Vikings gave him double-digit targets four times while averaging 8.5 looks per game. In Week 16, after just 24 snaps, he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee and underwent surgery in late January.

His rehab process moved more slowly than anticipated, keeping him out of Minnesota's first seven games of 2024. He returned to play in 11 contests, including the postseason, catching 46 of 67 targets for 519 yards and one touchdown. His three strongest outings — Week 10 (8/72), Week 12 (7/114), and a playoff showing (5/64/1) offered a glimpse of his former reliability, even if the overall numbers reflected a player still working his way back.

Hockenson went down as a fantasy liability last year, reflective of the poor passing attack of the Vikings. He scored over 10.00 fantasy points in only four matchups (5/49/1, 6/43, 6/59, and 4/66) while seeing more than six targets in only one game (9). His catch rate (77.2%) graded well, but Hockenson worked mostly as a late dump off options (8.6 yards per catch) on many plays. Twenty-five other tight ends outscored him in PPR fantasy points (112.80).

Josh Oliver→ his ranking

Jacksonville selected Oliver in the third round of the 2019 draft out of San Jose State, where he caught 91 passes for 1,005 yards and five touchdowns on 164 targets across his final two seasons. His 2018 campaign was his strongest college showing (56 receptions for 709 yards and four scores on 105 targets).

His early professional career was largely lost to injuries. Between stints in Jacksonville and Baltimore over his first three seasons, he missed 15 games and the entire 2020 season, finishing with just 26 catches for 230 yards and two touchdowns on 46 targets. A move to Minnesota finally gave him room to breathe, leading to him setting career highs across the board in his first Vikings season (22 catches for 213 yards on 28 targets), but his only fantasy-relevant performance came in Week 11 (4/47/1).

With Hockenson sidelined for the first half of 2024, Oliver stepped into a larger role and delivered (22 catches for 258 yards and three touchdowns on 28 targets), highlighted by a three-game stretch midseason (2/30/1, 5/58/1, and 4/52). He did enough to earn a three-year extension from Minnesota worth just over $23 million.

Last season, Oliver caught 15 of his 19 targets for 160 yards and four touchdowns. He scored more than 10.00 fantasy points in only two games (2/35/1 and 2/24/2).

Other options: Ben Yurosek, Gavin Bartholomew, Bryson Nesbit

Will Reichard

The Vikings added Reichard in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Over five seasons at Alabama, he made 84% of his 100 field goal chances while going 295-for-297 in extra points. Reichard connected on eight of his 10 tries from 50 yards or more in 2022 and 2023. His longest kick in college was 52 yards.

In his first two seasons in Minnesota, Reichard made 57-for-65 field goal chances (87.7%) while showing a winning leg from long range (19-for-24). All 69 of his extra points went through the uprights. He ranked in kicker scoring (170.00) in 2025 while scoring 10.00 or more fantasy points in 10 matchups.