K.J. Osborn Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Vikings WR Adam Thielen will miss at least the rest of the regular season after undergoing ankle surgery on Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Chad Graff. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero adds that Thielen is expected to be sidelined for about a month, so Minnesota would need to make a deep playoff run if Thielen is going to play again before the 2022 season. K.J. Osborn will step in as the Vikings' #2 WR -- and WR Justin Jefferson will dominate targets -- for as long as Thielen is out.

Vikings WR Adam Thielen (ankle) did not practice on Thursday. Recovering from a high-ankle sprain, he's unlikely to play vs. the Bears on Monday night. That'll keep K.J. Osborn in the WR3 mix.

Vikings WR Adam Thielen suffered a high-ankle sprain in Sunday's loss to the Lions, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That usually means multiple missed games. Thielen will have further testing Monday to determine his return timeline. With Thielen out for most of the game, WR Justin Jefferson racked up 14 targets, TE Tyler Conklin 9 and WR K.J. Osborn 7. Conklin and Osborn will be in fantasy consideration as long as Thielen remains out. Minnesota gets just 3 days off before hosting the Steelers on Thursday night.

Vikings WR K.J. Osborn is the current leader for the #3 role, according to Chad Graff of The Athletic. Dede Westbrook -- who signed just before training camp -- remains limited by his recovery from the ACL tear that ended his 2020 season in October. And Bisi Johnson went down with his own ACL tear during camp. Osborn -- a 5th-round pick last year -- has yet to see a regular-season target but got on the field as a returner in his rookie campaign. He closed out his college career with a 50-547-5 receiving line as a graduate transfer to Miami. Running 3rd among Vikings WRs isn't likely to make him fantasy relevant unless something happens to Justin Jefferson or Adam Thielen. But keep Osborn's name in mind for that possibility.