How to Approach Trade for Vikings’ Jordan Addison | Should You Trade Away/Trade For Addison?
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison looked to be on his way to fantasy stardom after three straight solid performances to kick off the 2023 NFL season. Addison had his first down game in week 4, and now fantasy owners are wondering whether it was just an outlier or if the first couple weeks were unsustainable.
Let’s dive into Addison's season so far and then discuss him as a trade target, as he’s the top player among FantasySP’s Expected Trade Interest (ETI) going into week 5. Those numbers can be found on the predictive trades tab of the Fantasy Assistant tool.
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Jordan Addison Fantasy Outlook
Addison showed why he was the Vikings first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft the first week of the regular season. The rookie wideout caught four of the six passes thrown his way for 61 yards and a touchdown. He accomplished that while playing in just 56% of the team’s offensive snaps.
In week 2, Addison scored again on his way to a 72-yard showing. He caught three passes on his five targets while playing nearly 70% of the team’s snaps.
Addison saw his workload increase again in week 3, playing over 70% of the snaps. He didn’t score, but did catch six of the eight passes thrown his way for 52 yards.
All of Addison’s numbers went in reverse this past weekend. He played under 60% of the snaps and failed to haul in a pass while being targeted just once. The Vikings’ passing game as a whole struggled, with just 130 net yards.
Minnesota passed a lot in the first three weeks of the season, and things finally got a bit more balanced in week 4. The Vikings attempted 23 runs while throwing only 19 passes.
Addison will always be at least the second option in the receiving room with Justin Jefferson ahead of him, and tight end T.J. Hockenson is also in front of Addison in the pecking order most weeks. With the running game more involved, something had to be taken away, and it happened to be Addison’s targets in week 4.
Now the big question fantasy owners are trying to answer is whether or not the Vikings will more often look like the team they did in week 4 when they won, or the team that lost the first three games. I think that’s what is making Addison the most popular trade target as of this publication.
Should You Trade for Addison?
Minnesota had more than 100 total yards in weeks 1-3 than it did in week 4, but with the end result being a win, I’d guess the team wants to have a more balanced approach going forward. I don’t necessarily think that spells bad things for Addison though.
He’s a highly-talented receiver playing in his rookie season. Down games are going to happen from time to time. If the Vikings want to overcome their slow start and reach the playoffs, they’ll need Addison to be a reliable option opposite Jefferson.
The rookie might not be targeted 10+ times a contest, but his big-play ability gives him the chance to turn his limited chances into solid fantasy scores on a consistent basis. Carolina is one of the better defenses when it comes to slowing opposing receivers, so I look at Addison’s showing as more of an outlier than a sign of things to come.
For those reasons, I’m all for trading for Addison if you are looking for some receiver help. One positive thing from Addison’s week 4 showing is that his value is as low as it’s been since the season kicked off, so you might be able to pick up a talented wideout for much cheaper than anytime in the last month.
Should You Trade Addison Away?
For the reasons I just explained, if you own Addison and are worried following his week 4 showing, I would not trade him. Not only is his value lower, but he doesn’t have a ton of tough matchups on paper in the near future.
Minnesota plays the Kansas City Chiefs in week 5. The Chiefs’ defense just allowed Zach Wilson to throw all over them, so I’d expect a bounceback performance for not only Addison, but the Vikings’ passing game as a whole.
Minnesota then faces the Chicago Bears, who currently are an average defense against the pass. Games against the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers round out the month. Green Bay has been one of the better teams against receivers, while the 49ers are in the bottom half of the league. None of the matchups in the next month are as tough as what the Vikings just faced against the Panthers.
What Should You Offer for Addison?
If making a trade for Addison, be sure to check our player ratings to find out players on your roster of equal value.
Addison is currently the 40th-ranked receiver and is 89th overall. If you’re looking to swap receivers, Arizona Cardinals’ Marquise Brown, New Orleans Saints’ Michael Thomas, Atlanta Falcons’ Drake London and Houston Texans’ Tank Dell are slightly ahead of Addison, while Carolina Panthers’ Adam Thielen, Jacksonville Jaguars’ Christian Kirk, Saints’ Rashid Shaheed and Las Vegas Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers are a touch below Addison.
Other players ranked near Addison that I’d consider offering for Addison are Denver Broncos’ Russell Wilson and Samaje Perine, Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love, Detroit Lions’ Sam LaPorta and Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow.
If you don’t have any of those guys and would rather deal from positions of depth, be sure to scroll down the player ratings. When you’ve come up with an offer you like, run it through our trade analyzer and see how the ratings match up.
