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It didn’t take tight end T.J. Hockenson very long to sink roots with the Minnesota Vikings. As soon as he joined the team after a trade by the Detroit Lions, he was making an impact in his first game. This year, Hock’s got the chance to be one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL.
2023 Fantasy Football: T.J. Hockenson Profile
Recap of 2022 season
Right off the bat, Hockenson saw nine targets come his way in his first game with the Vikings—in Week 9. He caught all of them, picking up 70 yards in a win over Washington. In 10 games with the Vikings, Hockenson averaged more than eight targets per game, finishing the season with a head-turning 10-catch, 129-yard effort in a playoff loss to the Giants.
On the season, he finished with 86 catches on 129 targets with 914 yards and six touchdowns in seven games with the Lions and 10 with the Vikings.
Updated Vikings outlook
Whether or not the Vikings can win the NFC North again remains to be seen, but one thing we can count on, as sure as death and taxes, is that they’re going to throw the hell out of the football. And why wouldn’t they? In addition to Hockenson, they’ve got wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, arguably the best in the game right now, and stud rookie Jordan Addison.
Best-case scenario
Hockenson is in the prime of his career and well-positioned in an offense primed to take full advantage of his abilities. Even with a pair of incredible receivers, Hockenson could easily find his ceiling this season, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility for him to put up numbers that challenge Travis Kelce for the NFL’s most productive tight end.
Worst case scenario
Though unlikely, it’s possible that there aren’t enough targets to go around with Jefferson and Addison, not to mention a competent third receiver in K.J. Osborn. In that situation, his numbers could be more in line with a fringe TE1 in fantasy football.
Prediction
Posting Kelce-like numbers might be a stretch, but it’s a safe bet that with 17 games in this Vikings offense, Hockenson should finish as one of the top three or four tight ends in fantasy this season.