Week 1 of the NFL season is almost in the books, but first, the Vikings visit Chicago to take on the Bears in an NFC North divisional matchup. It won’t be the first NFC North matchup of the weekend, as the Packers took down the Lions on Sunday. T.J. Hockenson and the Vikings will take center stage at Soldier Field on Monday Night Football.
Below is my favorite bet on DraftKings Sportsbook for the tight end in this game.
Best T.J. Hockenson Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Hockenson only played in 10 regular season games last season, recording 455 receiving yards while averaging 45.5 yards per game.
He went over this total on five occasions, including twice against Chicago. In fact, his best game of 2024 came at Soldier Field, recording seven receptions for 114 yards. In the home game against the Bears, the former Iowa Hawkeye finished with five catches for 52 yards.
Hockenson scored his only touchdown of the season the last time we saw Minnesota in their Wild Card loss to the Rams. The tight end caught all five of his targets for 64 yards and a score. Hopefully, Hockenson can continue that momentum into Week 1 of this season.
It’s not going to be easy, however, as he has to develop a new rapport with J.J. McCarthy. The young quarterback could struggle to see the field in his first NFL start, but it will be hard to miss the 6’5″ tight end in the middle of the field. Hockenson is one of the best security blankets in the NFL, and I’m sure McCarthy will go to him early and often.
With Jordan Addison missing, I would be shocked if Hockenson isn’t the second most targeted player on his offense behind Justin Jefferson. 43 yards or more seems more than reasonable for the experienced tight end.
