The best way to describe Jordan Addison since he returned from an early-season injury is fine. He’s been perfectly fine. Addison rode a two-touchdown performance against the Packers in Week 4 to 22.9 FPTS — one of the scores was a running play — and in the two games since he’s been held to just three receptions. Heck, he’s had exactly three catches in all four contests he’s played so far this season. Is there a path to more volume in the sophomore’s immediate future? I wouldn’t count on it.
The biggest issue facing Addison’s fantasy impact is the presence of Justin Jefferson. The LSU product continues to produce like one of the best wideouts in all of football and, as such, he’s rewarded with a massive target share. In fact, Jefferson entered Week 7 in possession of a 29.3% target per route run rate — the third-highest mark among all WRs with at least 100 routes. Jefferson then put up a 7-81-1 stat line against the Lions. Ho hum.
The other name is start worrying about if you’re an Addison owner is T.J. Hockenson. The tight end is close to coming back to action, even practicing as a limited participant during Monday’s session. Hockenson would likely see his snap count limited upon return, but this is an asset that hauled in 95 passes on 127 targets in just 15 games last season. When healthy, Hockenson is the No. 2 target on this Vikings roster.
That said, if Hockenson remains sidelined on Thursday, I’d probably give Addison one more shot in your lineups. What Addison lacks in sheer volume, he at least makes up for in big play potential. Addison’s 18.3-yard aDOT is the third-highest mark in the NFL among wide receivers with at least 15 receptions. He’s also averaging a robust 17.4 yards per catch. Meanwhile, the Rams secondary is surrendering 7.4 yards per opponent passing attempt — the sixth-worst mark in the league.
This is one of those TNF games that could be an offensive showcase and the implied team totals back up that statement. In a plus fantasy environment, Addison’s chunk play upside gives him some solid FLEX appeal, especially if the aforementioned Hockenson is ruled out.
Start or Sit Jordan Addison? Start.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
