Jordan Addison is dealing with hamstring soreness and Justin Jefferson is battling through an ankle sprain after sitting out last week, although the latter is expected to play. If Addison cannot go in New Orleans, Jauan Jennings is the next outside receiver in line for snaps in a Minnesota passing game that is already running thin. Find out whether you should start or sit Jauan Jennings in Week 5.
Start or Sit Jauan Jennings if Jordan Addison is Out in Week 5 Fantasy Football?
An Addison absence would free up 22 targets, a 22.0% share at 5.5 looks per game, along with 30.6% of the team’s air yards. On paper, that is a meaningful pile of work for a receiver who stands to step into the lineup.
The problem is that we have already watched a version of this play out. Jefferson missed Week 4 against Miami, and his 5.7 targets per game did not go to Jennings. T.J. Hockenson absorbed them, catching 13 balls for 119 yards on 13 targets, while Jennings saw one target and finished with 1.8 PPR points. Through three games he has four targets, two catches and nine yards, a 4.0% share that has not budged even with a starter out of the lineup.
Jennings does bring a strong, physical skill set at the catch point, which gives him a theoretical path to a score. He has not received a single red zone target this season, though, so even that path depends on a role he has not been given.
The Biggest Fantasy Risk for Jauan Jennings in Week 5
Volume is the core issue, and Minnesota cannot manufacture much of it. The Vikings are throwing for 156.0 yards per game on 27.5 attempts, with an 85.0 team passer rating under Kyler Murray and the offense generating just 25.0 targets per game. Hockenson already holds a 26.0% share and four red zone looks, so the vacated work has an obvious first destination.
The Saints do not make the climb any easier. New Orleans allows 29.5 PPR points per game to wide receivers and 122.5 receiving yards per game, both below the league averages of 32.0 and 151.3. They have done it against Detroit, Baltimore, Las Vegas and Atlanta, a schedule that lands right around league average, so the number is not a product of soft opponents. The one opening is the end zone, where they have allowed five receiving touchdowns against a league average of 3.7.
Game script is the only wildcard. The Saints throw 45.0 times per game and score 26.2 points per game, so Minnesota could be pushed into a pass-heavy afternoon. That raises the volume for everyone, but Jennings sits behind Hockenson and, if he plays, Jefferson in the line for those targets.
Fantasy Outlook for Jauan Jennings in Week 5
If Addison is ruled out, Jennings is still a Sit in Week 5. The opportunity looks appealing on paper, but the last time Minnesota lost a starting receiver, the targets went to the tight end rather than to Jennings, and nothing in his usage suggests that will change against a defense that has held receivers in check.
He is a deep-league dart throw at best, worth considering only if you need a touchdown flier and have no other options. If Jefferson also misses the game, Jennings gains a clearer path to snaps, but fantasy managers should want to see it translate into targets before trusting him in a lineup.
Find more Week 5 fantasy football start/sit coverage here!