Vikings Fantasy Football Outlook for Week 15: Should You Start Ty Chandler, Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Nick Mullens and More?

The Minnesota Vikings will square off with the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday afternoon in week 15.

Minnesota made a quarterback switch this week, and is dealing with a few injuries, so let’s discuss which players you could start this week.

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Quarterback Breakdown

After a horrendous 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders last week, Minnesota has decided to bench Joshua Dobbs and instead start Nick Mullens. Dobbs will be the Vikings No. 3 QB for the game, with Jaren Hall serving as the top backup instead.

Mullens came on last week and completed 9-of-13 passes for 83 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. He wasn’t sacked and did not attempt a run.

He was in Minnesota last season, appearing in four games. He has starting experience with the San Francisco 49ers in 2018 and 2020. For his career, Mullens has 27 touchdowns to 23 interceptions as a passer.

Mullen’s matchup with the Bengals is a pretty favorable one, as Cincy’s defense allows 18 fantasy points per game to opposing QBs. In the weekly projections, Mullens is ranked 22nd.

Running Back Breakdown

One of the Vikings out this week is running back Alexander Mattison, who is dealing with an ankle injury. That means Ty Chandler should serve as RB1.

For the season, Chandler has 62 touches, rushing 49 times for 203 yards and a touchdown, while adding 90 receiving yards on 13 catches and 15 targets. He is averaging 4.1 yards per carry, which is the highest mark on the team.

Kene Nwangwu got a couple touches last week after Mattison went down, so he should serve as Chandler’s backup.

It’s an average matchup ahead for the Minnesota backs, as the Bengals’ defense allows 21 fantasy points to the position per week.

Chandler is the only Vikings’ back to be in the projections, coming in 33rd overall. Chandler should be the workhorse, with Nwangwu spelling him for a couple snaps here and there, but I wouldn't expect Nwangwu to get too many touches.

Wide Receiver Breakdown

The big injury news is the health of Justin Jefferson. He is questionable with a chest injury, but did practice in full on Thursday, which bodes well for him playing Saturday.

Jalen Nailor is already listed out for the game with a concussion, so the Vikings could be really thin at WR if Jefferson misses the contest.

In his first week back, Jefferson had 27 receiving yards on two catches and three targets before leaving with a new injury.

Jordan Addison also had 27 yards on two catches and three targets. K.J. Osborn caught 4-of-7 targets, but for just 15 yards. Brandon Powell should also play a decent amount, regardless of if Jefferson plays or not.

It’s another average matchup here for the Minnesota players. Cincinnati’s defense allows 34 fantasy points per week to opposing wideouts.

In the week 15 projections, Jefferson is ranked eighth. Addison is 35th, while Osborn is 65th.

Tight End Breakdown

T.J. Hockenson was the Vikings’ top pass catcher last week. He hauled in five of his eight targets for 53 yards.

Hockenson has at least six targets in each of the team’s last three games. He’s been the team’s most consistent fantasy option through all the injuries.

Josh Oliver also played 28 snaps at tight end last week, but only had one target. He’s not a big part of the team’s offense, and a new quarterback isn’t likely to change that.

The Bengals’ defense allows the most points (17) to opposing tight ends in the NFL, but Hockenson is still fifth in the weekly projections.

Who to Start in Week 15

Let’s start with Mullens at quarterback. The matchup is favorable, but I’m very skeptical because of how the Vikings’ offense has looked of late. I’d avoid starting Mullens if you could, but he’s worth an add if you don’t have a starter lined up for the rest of the season. The Vikings’ offense is loaded, and if Mullens gets hot, he could be an above-average fantasy QB the rest of the season.

At running back, I like Chandler this week, especially with Mattison out. I think the workload alone should push Chandler to a solid fantasy score. The only thing I really worry about is what kind of game this becomes, as a trailing Vikings’ offense wouldn’t be good for Chandler’s fantasy outlook. Hopefully then Chandler could at least make a difference as a pass catcher.

If Jefferson is playing, he needs to be in your starting lineup. I know he’s banged up and has a backup quarterback out there, but you just have to trust the elite talent because his upside is really high.

As for Addison, Osborn and Powell, I’d avoid starting them in standard leagues whether Jefferson plays or not. Addison and Osborn are decent starting options in deeper leagues, while I’d also bench Powell there. Addison is the guy I like the most if Jefferson misses the game, but I think Hockenson then becomes the focal point of the offense.

Speaking of Hockenson, he’s a must start for me this week, regardless of the status of Jefferson. He’s either going to be a 1B to Jefferson, or the clear cut top passing threat in the offense. With the great matchup ahead, I see Hockenson as a top-five fantasy TE this week, and think he’s got a decent chance to be TE1.