As exciting as the preseason can be, there are always a handful of injuries that put a sour note on things leading up to the start of the new campaign. This is just what happened when news broke of an injury to Vikings’ second-year wide receiver Justin Jefferson. After a scary fall had him down at practice, when will Justin Jefferson return from injury?
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When will Justin Jefferson Return from Injury?
Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (shoulder) returned to practice on a limited basis on Monday after suffering an AC joint sprain during practice last week, per Chris Tomasson.
Fantasy Impact:
Jefferson had an extremely productive rookie season with the Vikings, finishing as the WR6 in half-PPR formats due to a whopping 1,400 receiving yards, which ranked third amongst all wideouts in 2020. However, the Vikings appear to be using extra caution on one of their best players, so no need to be concerned about his limited status as preseason Week 2 gets underway. Jefferson is currently being valued as the WR8 and could climb even higher in ADP if he returns to practice as a full participant before the end of the preseason.
Related News
- Justin Jefferson (shoulder) receives positive news, considered day-to-day
- Justin Jefferson (shoulder) reportedly has a sprained AC joint
- Justin Jefferson (shoulder) exits practice early Friday
What the Experts are Saying
I’m not sure many realize just how difficult it would be for Jefferson to repeat his 2020 season. Not only was he a rookie, which is amazing in its own right, but to finish with 1,400 yards on just 125 targets is ridiculous. How did that happen? Well, he caught 70.4 percent of his targets… at 15.9 yards a pop. No other wide receiver in the history of the game has totaled 1,400 yards on 125 or fewer targets. Bottom line… he needs more targets if he’s going to live up to expectations because that’s unlikely to happen again. With the defense getting back on track with Danielle Hunter (and adding in free agency), do the Vikings trend back to their run-heavy ways? Adam Thielen is a year older, but the chemistry between him and Kirk Cousins is magical. The sky is the limit for Jefferson with his talent, but will the targets follow? Don’t forget this is the same team that held Stefon Diggs to 112 or fewer targets in 4-of-5 seasons.
– Mike Tagliere
Current Expert Consensus Ranking (ECR) and Average Draft Position (ADP)
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