Justin Jefferson Injury Fantasy Football Impact: Kirk Cousins, Jordan Addison, KJ Osborn, Alexander Mattison
Justin Jefferson went down with an injury in Week 5. This is how it will impact the Minnesota Vikings and your fantasy team.
Justin Jefferson Injury
In Week 5, the consensus fantasy WR1 Justin Jefferson went down with a hamstring injury and was not able to return. While we are still waiting for further information as we await results from an MRI to be released to the public, it looks like Jefferson will almost definitely miss some time. The Vikings have not officially ruled him out for Week 6 but made it clear that he was very doubtful. Hamstring injuries tend to linger and there is even a chance he lands on injured reserve forcing him to sit out at least four games.
Through five games this season, Jefferson sits as the WR4 overall catching 36 of his 53 targets for 571 yards and three TDs. This is a brutal loss for fantasy owners who most likely drafted him first or second overall, and it's just as devastating for the Vikings who are currently sitting at 1-4 and watching their season circle down the drain after finishing 13-4 last season. This could get really ugly if he is forced to miss an extended period of time, but this is how everyone will need to adjust moving forward.
UPDATE: The Minnesota Vikings have placed Justin Jefferson on injured reserve. He will miss a minimum of the next four weeks.
Fantasy Impact
Kirk Cousins (Quarterback)
Cousins has quietly been the QB4 overall this season and a huge reason for that is having Jefferson at his disposal. If Jefferson is forced to miss time it will have a negative effect on both Cousins and the entire offense. However, Cousins can survive as a viable fantasy option if Jefferson is only to miss a week or two. Sometimes when a quarterback loses his star wideout it can make him less predictable as he's forced to spread the ball around more. It can take opposing defenses a few weeks to figure out the new tendencies in the passing attack. They still have enough weapons in Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, KJ Osborn, and Alexander Mattison that things shouldn't completely fall apart immediately. When he really needs that one big catch it will be evident, but perhaps not so much when it comes to his overall fantasy numbers.
If the injury is more serious and he's forced to go in IR and miss at least a month, that's when things will start to get ugly. Teams will adjust quickly and Cousins' stats will begin to suffer, as will your fantasy team. The good news is the Vikings play the Bears in Week 6. Chicago is bad enough that the Vikings and Cousins should be fine this upcoming week. Unfortunately, it gets tougher after that with the San Francisco 49ers coming to town followed by two road games in Green Bay and Atlanta. If we get word that this is a multi-week injury you should add another quarterback off the waiver wire and adjust accordingly based on what we see on the field. Nevertheless, you should at least give yourself a pivot option if things start to spiral.
Jordan Addison (Wide Receiver)
The Vikings are going to need a playmaker to lessen the blow of losing Jefferson and we expect Addison to be that guy. On top of his targets seeing a massive boost, his touchdowns should see a significant spike as well. It wouldn't be a surprise if he puts up close to WR1 production during Jefferson's absence. It's unlikely he is on your waiver wire, however, if he is he should be your top priority heading into Week 6. Even with Jefferson's gravitational pull on the football, the rookie has still seen at least five targets in all but one game including nine last week with Jefferson exiting early. He's turned his 29 opportunities into 249 yards and three TDs. Addison will be a must-start this week.
KJ Osborn (Wide Receiver)
Osborn is much more likely to be on your waiver wire and is worth a pickup. With Jefferson healthy, he has actually played more snaps than Addison this season. He now becomes a potential flex option with upside. It's out of the realm of possibilities that he is the WR1 in Minnesota with Jefferson sidelined. Last week, he also saw nine targets with Jefferson leaving early, and has only seen three fewer targets than Addison all year. However, he has been less productive catching 13 passes for 166 yards, and two TDs. We just don't think he's as talented a player of Addison, but that doesn't mean he can't be a productive fantasy asset for you if you are searching for a widely available wideout to help replace Jefferson for the foreseeable future.
Alexander Mattison (Running Back)
There is also a world where the Vikings lean more heavily on the rushing attack with Jefferson out which could lead to an already surging Mattison seeing a nice spike in volume and production over the next few weeks. This could absolutely be the case this week against the lowly Bears in a game we still expect the Vikings to have a lead for the majority of the game. We could see Mattison become a legitimate RB2 during Jefferson's stint on the inactive list. You may find him on the start list this week and perhaps seeing a jump in the rankings if he steps up when his team needs him most.
