Superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson went down with an injury in Week 3, and as things currently stand, his status for Week 4 is in question. The Minnesota Vikings are unbeaten and host the Miami Dolphins this week, so the matchup bodes well to keep the winning streak alive. The big question is what pass-catcher may step up if Jefferson doesn’t wind up suiting up this week.
After signing with the team this offseason, Jauan Jennings seems like a natural pick to absorb more volume in the passing game. Does he belong in fantasy football lineups if Jefferson doesn’t play?
Should Jauan Jennings be in fantasy lineups after Justin Jefferson’s injury?
A former seventh-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers, Jauan Jennings had a quiet start to his career before his breakout in 2024. That year, he finished with an average of 14.0 FPPG over his 15 appearances and was a comfortable FLEX or WR3 in fantasy lineups. He followed it up with a less-impressive 11.6 FPPG last season. Ultimately, a contract dispute with the team led to the wideout leaving in free agency this past offseason, making his way to Minnesota.
The Vikings didn’t have a clear need at wide receiver with a superstar like Justin Jefferson at the top of the depth chart and Jordan Addison playing a complementary role. However, Jennings’ blocking ability and his steady hands earned him a one-year, $8 million deal. He hasn’t done much yet this year, seeing only three targets with one reception for one yard across his two appearances. Still, if Jefferson is sidelined in Week 4 by his ankle injury – he left last week’s game early and did not practice on Wednesday – then Jennings will slide up in the pecking order.
Will he be playable in fantasy in such a scenario, though? That’s tougher to tell.
Jennings has played in two of the Vikings’ three games after missing Week 2. Thus, the sample size is quite small when it comes to his stats, but here’s what we do know. In Week 1, he ran 56.7% of the team’s routes and drew just one target. In Week 3, he saw a 76.5% route share but still saw just two targets.
Getting on the field more last week was a solid sign, but it didn’t translate to target volume even once Jefferson departed. Instead, Jordan Addison garnered nine total targets and caught seven for 90 yards and a touchdown. It should be noted that Minnesota’s offense hasn’t exactly been stellar, producing 71 points on the year with the 26th-ranked EPA/dropback. The Vikings are also 27th in pass rate with a -5.4% PROE that ranks 29th. This isn’t a pass-happy attack, so it’s possible that only one pass-catcher will be supported, even in Jefferson’s absence.
Also consider for a moment that the Vikings are set to face the Dolphins in Minnesota this week. This probably won’t be a close game, especially given the state of the Miami offense. The unit just lost De’Von Achane to a torn ACL and already falls 27th in EPA/play; conversely, the Vikings’ defense ranks first in EPA/play allowed. The home team should dominate, leading to even less pass volume for their receivers.
Sometimes, just getting a bump on the depth chart is enough to boost a player’s weekly outlook in fantasy. This isn’t one of those situations for Jennings, though, even if Jefferson doesn’t play. The combination of game plan, volume and matchup simply doesn’t align for him to pay off in Week 4 lineups, so stay away from Jennings if you want to win your week.
