Minnesota Vikings DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) could return to practice as early as next week, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. The 27-year-old suffered a torn ACL and MCL last season and has been on the PUP list since the beginning of the 2024 season. Earlier this afternoon, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that the team is loosely targeting a Week 7 return for the Iowa product. Seeing that he could return to practice next week is a great sign and suggests a Week 7 return could be possible. Before the season-ending injury, Hockenson was on pace to smash previous career highs in 2023 and could be in store for a strong second half, given how potent the Minnesota offense has looked early into the season.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (ankle) is set to practice on Wednesday after missing each of the last two games with an ankle injury. Addison's ankle was banged up in the preseason, but he returned in Week 1 and caught three passes for 35 yards before being sidelined again. Head coach Kevin O'Connell said Addison would likely be limited on Wednesday, but the team is optimistic he'll be able to suit up against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Packers have been a neutral matchup for wide receivers this year, so Addison will be firmly on the fantasy football radar if he plays. Quarterback Sam Darnold is off to a monster start in 2024 and has thrown for 657 yards, eight touchdowns, and just two interceptions. Jalen Nailor has hauled in three touchdowns in three games, but he'd likely take the biggest hit when Addison returns to action.UPDATE: Addison was officially limited on Wednesday.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said on Monday that the team isn't concerned about wide receiver Justin Jefferson's hand injury or his availability for the Week 4 contest this Sunday against the division-rival Green Bay Packer at Lambeau Field. Jefferson jammed one of the fingers on his right hand in the Week 3 win over the Houston Texans, but it didn't slow him down one bit, as the 25-year-old All-Pro wideout caught six passes for 81 yards and a touchdown on the day on his six targets. X-rays after the game showed no fractures in his finger, so he'll be good to go this weekend, although he might be listed on the team's injury report. Jefferson was one of the first receivers off the board in the first round of fantasy drafts for a reason and he already leads the league with three touchdowns through three weeks while catching 14 of his 21 targets for a healthy 273 yards.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said the team is "optimistic" about wide receiver Jordan Addison (ankle) heading into a Week 4 divisional showdown at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Addison hasn't played since injuring his ankle in the third quarter in the season-opening win over the New York Giants on Sept. 8. The 22-year-old second-year pass-catcher hasn't actually practiced since spraining his ankle in Week 1, so he'll need to get back on the field first this week to have a shot at returning in Week 4. Both Jailen Nailor and Brandon Powell have seen more work behind WR1 Justin Jefferson the last two weeks with Addison sidelined, but it has been Nailor that has been more productive. Nailor has been a popular waiver-wire pickup the last two weeks and has found the end zone in each of the first three weeks of the 2024 season.

San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason returned to earth in a 27-24 loss to the Rams in Los Angeles on Sunday. He took 19 carries for 77 yards and caught both of his two targets for 11 yards receiving. As the stat line suggests, Mason wasn't bad in this one but failed to find the end zone for the first time this year, limiting his fantasy day. In the first two games of 2024, Mason completely dominated the running back touches but rookie Isaac Guerendo cut into his workload with five carries of his own for 19 yards against LA. It wasn't the RB1 performance that fantasy managers were looking for in Week 3 but Mason didn't look bad. There could come a time while Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) is out that Guerendo becomes even more involved, but it doesn't appear to be a worry just yet. Mason will resume his bell-cow role when the 49ers host the New England Patriots next Sunday.