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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson increased his numbers in 2021 after an impressive rookie season . He was selected to his second pro bowl last season and has cemented himself as one of the best receivers in the NFL. Jefferson has overtaken Adam Thielen as the team’s No.1 receiver.
Jefferson will look to take another leap in his game and improve once again. The Vikings finished 2021 with an 8-9 record and second in the NFC North division. They suffered through injuries and roster aging last season, which had an impact on their inconsistencies. Thielen missed a few games due to injuries and wasn’t very productive last season. Irv Smith Jr. has been a big-time target for them, and K.J Osborn has shown some nice flashes as well.
2021 season statistics & fantasy finish
Stats: 108 receptions for 1,616 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He averaged 15.0 and 95 yards per game last season.
Fantasy: Jefferson racked up 330.4 points last season for an average of 19.4 points per game in PPR league. In a standard scoring league he had 222.4 points and 13.1 points per game.
Vikings offseason moves
The Vikings added some depth pieces to their team this season, which helps them. They also added Patrick Peterson in free agency and Lewis Cine via the draft. Offensively they added WR Albert Wilson Jr. and drafted WR Jalen Nailor. They will rely on the running game again this season with RBs Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison.
2022 best case scenario
The best case scenario for Jefferson is him increasing his numbers once again, especially his touchdowns. QB Kirk Cousins was in the news a lot last season, but shouldn’t be a distraction this season, which could mean a big year for him. With Thielen showings signs of regression the past two years, it would mean even more targets for Jefferson.
2022 worst case scenario
The Vikings decided to rely on the running game even more than usual with Cook and Mattison, limiting the targets for the third-year receiver. Also, Cousins has a subpar year, and Thielen is injured again, causing all of the defensive attention to be shifted to Jefferson. With no other real receiving threat, Jefferson’s impact is limited.
2022 prediction
Jefferson should have a pretty big season again, surpassing his receiving yards total and touchdowns. Jefferson is clearly a WR1 in fantasy, no matter the format that you choose. His ceiling this year is a top-10 receiver in the NFL and the floor of top-15. He should reach his ceiling this season and could even surpass it if things unfold for him properly.