Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson left with a concussion early in Sunday's win over the Saints. That left the team without its top two TEs, as blocking TE Josh Oliver landed on IR with a biceps tear after Week 3. That left Gavin Bartholomew and Ben Yurosek as the top two TEs against New Orleans. Bartholomew led the receiving, running 26 routes to Yurosek's 10 and drawing 6 targets to Yurosek's 1. Bartholomew finihed second in the team in targets (6), receptions (5), and receiving yards (33). Yurosek caught his lone target for 10 yards.
Who's Gavin Bartholomew?
Minnesota drafted Bartholomew in the sixth round in 2025, but he missed his entire rookie season with a back injury.
Before that, he tallied these numbers across four seasons at Pitt:
- 105 catches
- 1,257 yards
- 11 TDs
Bartholomew then ran a 63rd-percentile 40 time for the position at the Combine.
What They're Saying
Jason Harmon of SI.com: "Bartholomew was a standout at this summer's training camp, consistently making highlight plays and turning heads with impressive catches. He also flashed in limited preseason action, showing surprising quickness and ability to get yards after the catch."
2026 Fantasy Football Impact
Bartholomew benefited from WR Jordan Addison missing the game.
This doesn't look like a passing offense capable of supporting more than two receivers. Justin Jefferson's return Sunday will make him one of those guys just about every week.
That leaves Addison and the lead TE fighting for slot No. 2.
If Addison's ready to return after the Week 6 bye, then whoever starts at TE will face a bigger challenge for target share.
Of course, Bartholomew needs Hockenson to sit to have a shot at relevance.
The TE starter should ready after the bye. His last documented concussion came all the way back in 2019.
