T.J. Hockenson Fantasy Overview

Production & Fantasy Finishes

Hockenson managed 51 catches, 438 yards, and 3 TDs in 15 games. He topped 50 yards only twice.

Hockenson finished as the TE26 in PPR and half-PPR leagues. He sat 28th in half-PPR points per game; 29th in PPR PPG.

The 29-year-old posted three top-12 PPR finishes, including a season-best TE5 game in Week 3, with Jordan Addison suspended. The downside appeared often, though, with eight finishes at TE20 or worse.

Usage & Role

Hockenson’s issue wasn’t getting on the field. In 15 games, he ranked 15th among TEs in route rate (72.7%) and 16th in snap share (78.3%).

Hockenson just didn’t earn fantasy-friendly volume. His 15.1% target share tied for 20th at the position. And he wasn’t a major factor in the red zone, where his 15.5% target share tied Jalen Nailor for third on the Vikings and ranked 21st among TEs.

Efficiency & Regression

Hockenson’s frustrating season turned up mostly underwhelming efficiency marks.

Among 49 TEs with 30+ targets, he finished:

• 16th in catch rate
• 39th in targets per route run
• 39th in yards after catch per reception
• 42nd in yards per route run
• 42nd in yards per catch

Just don’t pin all of the blame on the TE.

Offensive Context

The Vikings’ QB play regressed significantly after a breakout 2024 from Sam Darnold. J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer combined for 164.8 yards and 1.05 TDs per game.

The team finished 30th in time of possession, 30th in plays, and 32nd in third-down conversion rate. That helped limit this unit to 20.2 points per game, seventh-fewest in the league.

Historical Production & Trends

Hockenson started hot in Minnesota, averaging 5.6 receptions and 58.5 yards per game across his first two Vikings seasons.

But a major knee injury and the loss of Kirk Cousins have dragged his per-game numbers down to 3.7 catches and 35.7 yards over the past two seasons. That’s pushed him from a top-5 fantasy TE to an unreliable streamer.

Injury History & Durability

Hockenson missed the final two games of 2025 with a shoulder injury.

He suffered an ACL and MCL tear in December 2023, limiting him to 10 games in 2024.

Projected Role & Competition

The Vikings return Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, their top target-earners from 2025. We project that duo to combine for 49% of the team’s total targets.

Jalen Nailor moved on in free agency, and he’ll leave behind 53 targets. But the Vikings replaced him with WR Jauan Jennings.

Jennings broke out with a 77-975-6 line in 2024 for a 49ers offense that missed Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey for most of the season. Jennings’ production dipped last season -- 55-643-9 in 15 games -- but he looks like a clear upgrade on Nailor.

Our takeaway: The Vikings’ actions and current depth say they’re not expecting a major statistical rebound from Hockenson.

Supporting Cast

The Vikings signed veteran QB Kyler Murray, who's the favorite to start over J.J. McCarthy.

Murray lasted only five games last year before a foot injury sent him to IR. His 161-attempt sample turned up a conservative style with a low 6.3-yard average depth of target, but he converted that into the fifth-best adjusted completion rate among 42 QBs with 150+ attempts. His aDOT was higher in 2023 and 2024, though still below league average at 7.5 and 7.4.

A more conservative approach would help Hockenson, whose 5.2-yard aDOT last season marked a career low by 2.3 yards.

Minnesota’s O-line should remain in good shape with four starters returning from a productive group. The lone concern sits at center after Ryan Kelly retired. He made it through only eight games last season but still ranked fourth among 59 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade. Blake Brandel, the expected replacement, finished 23rd in that same sample.

Coaching & Offensive Scheme

Hockenson enters his fourth full season with HC Kevin O’Connell and OC Wes Phillips.

This group has tilted toward the pass in four years together, finishing fifth, second, 20th, and 13th in pass rate. Even with the awful QB setup in 2025, the Vikings ranked a mid-pack 19th in situation-neutral pass rate.

The QB outlook improves with Murray. He should give Hockenson an efficiency boost and a chance to become a more usable streamer.

Risk Factors

Jefferson, Addison, and Jennings crowd the target picture, which makes Hockenson’s scoring efficiency even more important. That’s been a weakness, with his career TD rate sitting at just 6%.