Who won Vikings WR battle between KJ Osborn, Chad Beebe, Dede Westbrook

Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen are entrenched as the top two wide receivers for the Minnesota Vikings. But the third spot has been a battle throughout training camp and the preseason between K.J. Osborn, Chad Beebe and Dede Westbrook. Not that third receiver will see much work with Dalvin Cook in the backfield and Jefferson and Thielen gobbling up targets, but the player who does take that spot could still end up being important to fantasy footballers down the line.

Verdict

Spoiler alert: Westbrook won the job. Head coach Mike Zimmer said this week that the team would likely be using more three receiver sets, and when they do, Westbrook will be out there for most of the snaps.

Westbrook had some chops in early work with the Jaguars, where he’s played since 2017. He tore his ACL last year, getting in just two games. But the two seasons before that he caught 66 passes each year for a total of 1,377 yards and 13 touchdowns in those two seasons.

Beebe ended up on injured reserve.

Fantasy football implications

Westbrook’s not going to be anything more than an occasional waiver wire target, if that. But if either Thielen or Jefferson have to miss time, he would step into an offense that passes enough to make him worth a look.