Justin Jefferson not ready for Week 10

The Vikings have downgraded WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) to out for Sunday's game against the Saints and are not yet activating him from IR. They had officially listed him as questionable after Friday's practice, but this has been the expectation all week. We'll check in on Jefferson's status heading toward a Week 11 clash with the Broncos. That game's currently scheduled for Sunday night, which could challenge Jefferson's usability in fantasy lineups if he carries a questionable tag. Beyond that, we'll see whether the Week 13 starts to factor into the decision on when/whether to bring Jefferson back.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson did not report for the start of the team's offseason program on Monday. He's entering the final year of his rookie deal and is (rightfully) looking for a big contract extension. “I’ve had a lot of great dialogue with Justin throughout even the early part of this offseason and leading up,” HC Kevin O’Connell said. “My hope is we can get him around the team. Obviously such a special player, but it goes beyond that this time of year because of just the energy and flat-out way he goes to work.” We'll see where these contract negotiations go and how long Jefferson stays away from the team. We'll also see if the Vikings add a QB early in the draft later this month. Despite those issues, Jefferson still sits fourth among WRs in our current 2024 fantasy football rankings.

The Vikings acquired the 23rd overall pick of this year's draft -- plus pick No. 232 -- from the Texans in exchange for picks 42, 188, and a 2025 second-rounder. Minnesota now holds the 11th and 23rd overall picks in the draft. The obvious conclusion here is that the Vikings are stockpiling ammo to make a move up for a QB. They'd likely need to trade into the top three to land Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, or Drake Maye. Or they could make a smaller move up for J.J. McCarthy. Any of those guys would be good news for the short and long-term fantasy outlooks of WR Justin Jefferson, WR Jordan Addison, and TE T.J. Hockenson. QB Sam Darnold currently tops Minnesota's depth chart.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson hauled in 12 of 14 targets for a season-high 192 receiving yards and a TD in Week 18 vs. the Lions. The veteran’s 192 yards from Sunday stand as the second-highest total of his four-year career and the fifth time this season that Jefferson exceeded the 100-yard threshold. Having only played 10 games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury, the fact that Jefferson hit the century mark in half of his games speaks to his level of dominance. He should continue to be among the very elite WRs in dynasty formats moving forward. The only big question looming over the Vikings is who will play QB next season, but a player of Jefferson’s caliber should be fine no matter the outcome on that front.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson is active for today's game vs. the Bengals. Jefferson was taken to the hospital last Sunday after taking a hard hit to the chest, but he dodged any severe injury. Earlier in the week, he said he expects to play a normal allotment of snaps. Check the WR Rankings to see if he cracks WR1 range alongside new QB Nick Mullens.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (chest) is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game vs. the Bengals. He practiced all week, including a full workout on Thursday, and is fully expected to play this weekend. Jefferson can be penciled into Week 15 fantasy lineups. Just check back to make sure he’s active around 11:30 am ET on Saturday.