Minnesota Vikings fans had an understandable freak-out when superduperstar WR Justin Jefferson was held out of practice due to a mild hamstring strain, and justifiably so, as Jefferson — who finished 2024 with 1,533 yards — is in direct competition with Bengals superduperstar Ja’Marr Chase for the title of NFL's Scariest Receiver.
On the plus side, the man they call Jets has since returned to the field. On the potentially minus side, his Week 1 status remains up in the air.
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Will Justin Jefferson Play in Week 1?
The Vikings roll into 2025 with a regime change at the quarterback position. Last season's surprise star QB Sam Darnold — who, after almost bust-ing his way out of the league, threw for 4,319 yards — is decamped in Seattle, replaced by J.J. McCarthy, who sat out all of 2024. With a new, inexperienced signal caller, this is an offense that could look entirely different.
If Jefferson were to miss Week 1, the Vikings receiving corps would be extremely thin, with Jordan Addison set to miss three games due to a suspension. Jalen Nailor remains shaken up, but thankfully for Minnesota, they were able to acquire old friend Adam Thielen.
It’s worth noting that Jefferson was kept out of action in 2023 due to a hamstring injury. While it didn’t affect him last year, this might be a lingering issue to monitor.
Justin Jefferson: Fantasy Football Outlook
Despite the potential outage, Jefferson's Average Draft Position (ADP) sits at the five-spot (WR3), as per Fantasy Pros. Even if Jets were to miss a game or two, he remains more of a threat than most of the receivers being drafted below him.
A potential absence will be a problem early, but his late-season presence should more than make up for a possible September invisibility.
Justin Jefferson — 88.5 Receptions
Of Jefferson's NFLZSN projections, his total number of receptions is the most intriguing. McCarthy needs a safety blanket and Jefferson has proven to be exactly that. (See: Darnold, Sam.) The LSU product posted 88 receptions as a rookie, and has racked up 100-plus receptions in three of his five seasons, so 88.5 seems doable.
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