Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (hamstring) is active for tonight’s game vs. the Packers. He put in a full practice on Friday, so the hammy isn’t a big concern. But with Sean Mannion under center, Conklin is a shaky fantasy play.

ESPN's Adam Schefter confirms that Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (hamstring) is expected to play vs. the Packers tonight. Conklin got in a full practice on Friday, so the hammy isn't much of a concern. QB Sean Mannion is definitely a concern, though, and makes Conklin a shaky TE2.

Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday night’s game vs. the Packers. He went from no practice on Wednesday to limited on Thursday to full participation on Friday. So Conklin should play this weekend. But he’s not a recommended fantasy starter with Sean Mannion under center.

Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (hamstring) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. We'll see what he does tomorrow, but anything less than a full practice would make him tough to trust in Week 17 fantasy lineups.

Vikings TE Tyler Conklin missed Wednesday's practice with a hamstring issue. We don't have any other details on the injury or whether Conklin is in danger of missing Sunday night's game vs. the Packers. Check back tomorrow for another update.

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 TE Tyler Conklin (glute, elbow) isn't listed on the final Week 4 injury report. He went from no practice on Wednesday to a limited practice on Thursday and then full participation Friday. Conklin should play his usual role vs. the Browns this weekend.

Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (glute, elbow) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. That seemingly has him on track to play vs. the Browns this weekend, but we'll get another update on his status tomorrow.

Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (glute, elbow) did not practice on Wednesday. Conklin is coming off his best game of the season, and we weren't aware of any injuries suffered in Week 3. We'll get another practice report from Minnesota tomorrow.

Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (hamstring) isn’t listed on the final injury report after getting in full practices on Thursday and Friday. He should be a full-go for this weekend’s opener vs. the Bengals. You should be able to do better in season-long leagues, but Conklin is in play as a cheap DFS option.

Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (hamstring) was upgraded to full participation in Thursday's practice. He'll be out there for this weekend's opener vs. the Bengals and should operate as Minnesota's lead TE.

Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (hamstring) was limited in Wednesday's practice. He's seemingly on track to play against the Bengals this weekend, but we'll get another update on his status tomorrow.

Vikings TE Irv Smith had surgery Wednesday morning to repair his injured meniscus. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that he has a 4-5 month recovery timeline, which almost certainly ends Smith's season. That leaves opportunity open at the position. HC Mike Zimmer talked up Tyler Conklin this summer. Conklin missed about half of August with a hamstring injury, but he has downplayed the severity and said he expects to be ready for the opener. He's our top choice among Minnesota TEs. The team also traded for Chris Herndon this week, of course. The former Jet comes with athletic upside but has disappointed since a standout rookie year. It's worth noting the Jets unloaded him for merely a move up from Round 6 to Round 4 in the 2022 draft. We'll see whether the Vikings look to add anything else over the next week and a half -- or in season if they're dissatisfied once the games begin.

The Jets have traded TE Chris Herndon to the Vikings for "draft pick compensation," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. That likely means a Day 3 pick, perhaps conditional. More importantly, it means Herndon enters the mix for a team that just lost Irv Smith to meniscus surgery and has been operating for a while without Tyler Conklin (hamstring). Conklin told reporters Monday that he's "feeling really good" and that the injury was "very minor in the first place," according to the team website. He has yet to return to practice but says he'll be ready for Week 1. We should learn more about Smith's return timeline after his surgery this week. Herndon, meanwhile, became expendable with a lackluster training camp and preseason for a Jets offense with nothing else exciting at TE. If Conklin is ready for the opener, we'd still bet on him as the team's initial leader at the position. We'll see whether Herndon can rebound with a new team. He remains a dynasty stash at least. Herndon's departure from the Jets also positions Tyler Kroft as the #1 TE there.

Update: The Vikings sent a 4th-round pick to New York in exchange for Herndon and a 6th-rounder.

Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (hamstring) returned to practice on Monday, according to beat writer Chris Tomasson. Conklin missed 2 weeks with the hamstring injury. But, barring a setback, he's set to open the season as Minnesota's lead TE. We're still waiting to hear how long TE Irv Smith will be out.

Vikings HC Mike Zimmer expects TE Tyler Conklin to return to practice next week. He's been sidelined since injuring his hamstring on August 16. With TE Irv Smith out at least for the start of the season -- and potentially much longer -- Conklin is atop Minnesota's depth chart. We'll see if the Vikings add to the position.

Vikings TE Irv Smith will undergo surgery for a meniscus injury, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The 3rd-year TE is expected to miss at least the Week 1 opener vs. Cincinnati, but a specific timeline isn’t yet known. Tyler Conklin, the #2 TE, has already missed time this summer with a hamstring injury. If healthy, Conklin will profile as a potential spot-starter out of the gate.

Vikings TE Tyler Conklin left practice Monday with a hamstring injury. Beat writer Ben Goessling tweeted Tuesday that it’s a “mild” issue for the 4th-year TE. Certainly not the worst-case scenario. Conklin doesn’t profile as a standalone fantasy option, but his progress (and presence) might take some shine off Irv Smith’s ultimate upside. HC Mike Zimmer talked up a bigger role for Conklin in June.

Vikings HC Mike Zimmer suggested at TE Tyler Conklin might be a bigger beneficiary of TE Kyle Rudolph's departure than TE Irv Smith. “I think it’s a bigger role for Tyler Conklin,” Zimmer said. “He’s kind of emerged as a guy that’s moving upward and with those two guys, we have a lot of weapons there. Irv always has been able to do what he’s been able to do whether Kyle was here or not." Conklin actually out-targeted Smith 21 to 20 over the final 4 games of last season with Rudolph sidelined. Smith just edged Conklin 118 to 106 in pass routes during that stretch. Smith remains the better 2021 fantasy bet -- but his role sans Rudolph might not grow as much as many are expecting. Conklin, meanwhile, is an intriguing end-of-draft flier in deep best-ball leagues, especially in the FFPC.

Vikings TE Tyler Conklin talked up his 2021 role in a chat with Bob Sansevere of TwinCities.com. “When Coach (Klint) Kubiak got hired as the new offensive coordinator, he reached out and talked to me, and just expressed that I’d be a bigger part of the offense. They’re excited for me to have that opportunity,” Conklin said. “And I think that’s really just what it comes down to. I mean, I think that people in the organization, people around me, are excited for me to have an opportunity...There’s probably a pretty good chance that, right from the get go, I’ll have a chance to make plays in the passing game and really help this team get to where we want to be.” The contract-year TE quietly caught 15 balls over the past month of 2020 with Kyle Rudolph sidelined. (Rudolph, of course, is a current free agent.) While Irv Smith remains the position group’s headliner, Conklin brings plus athleticism and should benefit from an offense heavy on 2-TE sets. He’s in play as a late-round target in FFPC drafts.