Minnesota Vikings Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. But HC Kevin O'Connell confirmed that Jefferson is unlikely to play vs. the Saints this weekend. "We have a rough timetable," O'Connell said. [Playing this week] would be a little aggressive." We'll keep you updated on Jefferson's progress, but he should be on Week 10 fantasy benches for now.

The Vikings on Wednesday designated WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) to return from IR. That means he can return to practice any time, though it doesn't necessarily mean we'll see him on the field in any way this week. Minnesota has three weeks to either activate the wideout or rule him out for the season. Reports have already said we shouldn't expect Jefferson to play in Week 10. But this designation should mean that return is approaching. We'll continue updating whenever there's news on one of fantasy's (and the NFL's) biggest stars.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Vikings don't expect to get WR Justin Jefferson back from his hamstring injury this week. Jefferson is eligible to return for Sunday's game against the Saints after missing the past four contests. But it sounds like he'll need at least one more week of recovery time. That obviously leaves targets available for the other Minnesota pass catchers, albeit in a more difficult matchup than last week's vs. Atlanta.

Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Monday the team is "working through" when WR Justin Jefferson will return from the hamstring injury that has him on IR, according to The Athletic's Alec Lewis. O'Connell did promise an update Wednesday, so we should at least have a good idea of Jefferson's chances before setting any Week 10 lineups. But if your league runs waivers on Tuesday night, approach them as though you'll be missing Jefferson again this week.

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson hauled 7 of 12 targets for 69 receiving yards in Week 9 vs. the Falcons. WR Jordan Addison also had a strong performance, logging 52 yards on 5 catches in the contest. As painful as losing QB Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles was, it seems as though the recently acquired Joshua Dobbs is going to be able to float the fantasy viability of both. Next week, Hockenson and Addison will face a stingy Saints’ defense (ninth in pass defense DVOA).

Packers RB Aaron Jones enjoyed a breakout game in Week 9. The veteran back tallied 99 total yards on 24 touches -- his highest mark since Week 10 of last season. He added his first TD since Week 1 on a power run up the middle. Jones will be challenged this week at Pittsburgh. Going forward, though, his schedule looks neutral in terms of fantasy points allowed.

Vikings QB Jaren Hall went to the locker room in the first quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Falcons, presumably to get checked for a concussion. He'll be replaced by QB Josh Dobbs, who was just acquired earlier this week. We'll update Hall's status when we know more.

Update: Hall has been ruled out with a concussion.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) is eligible to come off IR and play vs. the Saints next weekend. But there remains "uncertainty" about his status, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. "Jefferson still has to meet with the doctors, [and] the team has to decide how it wants to handle Jefferson," Schefter adds. Jefferson was originally expected to miss 4-6 weeks, so it's possible that he's just not healthy yet. It's also possible that QB Kirk Cousins' absence impacts Jefferson's return. We'll continue to keep a close eye on the situation.

Packers HC Matt LaFleur said Friday that RB Aaron Jones (hamstring) is ready for an expanded role. “Ready to cut him loose," LaFleur said. Jones has totaled 15 carries and 10 targets over the past two weeks, easing back in after hurting his hamstring. It sounds like we can expect him back in something close to his usual role in Sunday's game vs. the Rams. We're moving Jones up the Week 9 RB Rankings.

Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Tuesday that QB Jaren Hall will start this weekend's game vs. the Falcons. QB Josh Dobbs will need at least a week to get up to speed in the offense. Hall replaced QB Kirk Cousins last week, completing three of four passes for 23 yards on 11 snaps. The fifth-round rookie started for BYU the past two years, completing 65% of his passes at 8.6 yards per attempt with 51 TDs vs. 11 INTs. Hall also ran for 657 yards and six TDs across those two seasons and then clocked a 4.64-second 40 time at his Pro Day. There's some rushing potential here, but Hall is just a desperation QB2 play this week. He adds obvious risk to Minnesota's pass catchers.

After trailing teammate AJ Dillon in Week 7 usage while working back from his hamstring injury, Packers RB Aaron Jones climbed to basically even in Sunday's loss to the Vikings. His 7 carries led the team, producing 29 yards (4.1 per rush). Jones also tied Dillon at 5 targets. He caught four for 17 yards. Dillon caught all five of his to lead the team in receptions and posted 41 yards. Given the lackluster performance of Dillon overall, Jones should see further increases in his work. Non-scary matchups with the Rams, Steelers, and Chargers await over the next three weeks.

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson tallied 6 receptions for 88 yards and a TD in Sunday's win over the Packers. It marked the second straight week in which he set a season high for receiving yards and the first time he has found the end zone since Week 2. Unfortunately, the game also included a torn Achilles' tendon for QB Kirk Cousins, which makes Hockenson's outlook much bleaker the rest of the way. We'll see whether Minnesota addresses the position before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.

Vikings WR Jordan Addison logged 7 receptions on 8 targets in Sunday's win over the Packers. He turned that into 82 yards and a TD. Unfortunately, he also lost QB Kirk Cousins to a late-game Achilles' tear. That will challenge Addison's ability to remain start-worthy in our fantasy football lineups. We'll see whether Minnesota moves to upgrade on rookie QB Jaren Hall before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.

Packers RB Aaron Jones (hamstring) is not listed on the final Week 8 injury report. He only got in limited practices on Thursday and Friday, though. "We're still gonna be smart with him. I don’t think he’s 100% by any stretch." HC Matt LaFleur said Friday. Jones tallied eight carries and five targets on a 36% snap rate in his return last week. We’re projecting a similar workload vs. the Vikings on Sunday.

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson (foot) is not listed on the final Week 8 injury report. He was limited in practice this week but will be out there for Sunday’s game vs. the Packers.

Packers RB Aaron Jones (hamstring) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. He'll play vs. the Vikings this weekend, but there's no reason to believe at this point that he'll be at 100%.

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson (foot) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. He should be on track to play vs. the Packers this weekend, but we'll see how Hockenson is listed on the final injury report tomorrow.

Packers RB Aaron Jones (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. HC Matt LaFleur conceded that Jones is still dealing with soreness in that hamstring -- but added that they're hoping to increase his snaps vs. the Vikings this weekend. He played just 36% of the offensive snaps in last week's loss to the Broncos. We'll see how Jones progresses throughout the week.

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson (foot) did not practice on Wednesday. He got banged up in Monday night's win over the 49ers but was able to play through the foot issue. We're expecting him to be out there for this weekend's game vs. the Packers but will keep you updated on his status.

Vikings WR Jordan Addison erupted in Week 7 vs. the 49ers, logging 7 catches on 10 targets for a career-high 123 receiving yards with 2 TDs. Per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Addison’s 6 TDs this year are tied for the most receiving scores by a rookie through the first seven games of a season in the Super Bowl era. It’s fair to say after Monday night that the rookie wideout has truly broken out. His teammate TE T.J. Hockenson had a stellar 11-catch, 86-yard game good enough to land him as the PPR TE4 on the week. Next up on the agenda for this pair of star pass-catchers is a divisional showdown vs. the Packers in Week 8.