Loaded with fantasy football talent? 6 Vikings make PFF’s top 100

Gearing up for your fantasy football draft and you're not sure what to do with the Minnesota Vikings?

It's a no-brainer to take wide receiver Justin Jefferson (if you're lucky enough to pick that high in your draft) — and that's still the case even though he's currently sidelined with what head coach Kevin O'Connell called a "very mild" hamstring strain. The Vikings fully expect Jefferson to be ready for Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, and they had no plans to play him in the preseason anyway.

But what about the rest of the Vikings skill position stars? Well, Pro Football Focus released updated fantasy football rankings on Monday and six Vikings made it on the list of 200 players. Even more intriguing is that all six are in the top 100. Let's dive in...

Jefferson cracked the top five, coming in at No. 4 overall. Only Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, and Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs rank above him on PFF's list.

But you have to go all the way to No. 63 to find the next Viking: tight end T.J. Hockenson.

"He will be much further removed from his injury for the 2025 season, but some players never return to the player they were before that injury," PFF says. "Luckily, even if he doesn’t have the same speed, he’s still strong on contested catches, but that won’t command the same target share as he’s had in the past."

Hockenson played in 10 games last season and had 41 receptions for 455 yards, but he failed to score a touchdown. When healthy in 2023, he caught 95 passes for 960 yards and five touchdowns. Vikings On SI's Will Ragatz thinks Hockenson will have a much bigger season than last, especially as J.J. McCarthy's security blanket in the passing game.

"I’m expecting Hockenson to be a pretty consistent target for McCarthy, who had a strong rapport with Colston Loveland and other tight ends during his time at Michigan," Ragatz says. "A good receiving tight end can be a safety blanket for a young quarterback, and the two have already displayed their connection over the first few practices of training camp."

Tight ends ranked ahead of Hockenson by PFF are George Kittle (No. 27), Trey McBride (No. 15), and Brock Bowers (No. 14). That's right, Travis Kelce is behind Hockenson at No. 102 overall.

Right behind Hockenson is wide receiver Jordan Addison at No. 66.

"His 19 receiving touchdowns over the last two seasons is tied for fourth-most among wide receivers, but he ranks 26th in receiving yards and 28th in receptions. A lot has stayed the same in Minnesota, and if his career simply continues to progress, he could be a top-20 fantasy wide receiver," PFF says of Addison.

One thing that could complicate that potential is a possible suspension after Addison reached a plea agreement stemming from his July 2024 DUI arrest in Los Angeles. A three-game suspension is definitely in the cards, but Addison and the Vikings are still waiting on the NFL for a decision.

Vikings running backs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason made the list at Nos. 70 and 77, respectively.

PFF notes that Jones, in his first season with Minnesota in 2024, "set career-highs in snap rate and carries per game with the Vikings, but he was only a mid-to-low RB2 in fantasy points per game with a relatively low touchdown total and less efficiency than in past seasons."

The addition of Mason to the backfield complicates things from a fantasy outlook, but Ragatz has an idea of how the Vikings will deploy the duo.

"Coming off a season where he had over 1,500 yards from scrimmage on a career-high 306 touches, Aaron Jones remains the No. 1 running back in Minnesota. But he turns 31 in December, and the Vikings added the 26-year-old Mason because they wanted a legit backfield partner for Jones in order to reduce his workload and keep him fresh. This projects as a possible 1A/1B, 60/40 type of dynamic, with Mason filling the role that A.J. Dillon and Jamaal Williams once did as the power back alongside Jones in the Packers' backfield," Ragatz wrote for Vikings On SI.

At this point in the article, you might be wondering: 'Where's J.J. McCarthy?' Glad you asked. The 22-year-old is 96th overall in PFF's top 200.

"Despite the risks associated with first-year starting quarterbacks with limited rushing upside, McCarthy benefits from an excellent offensive system led by Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings' quarterbacks have been consistent top-10 fantasy options in recent seasons, even when Kirk Cousins was injured," PFF says. "The Vikings also have a strong supporting cast featuring Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, all of whom put McCarthy in a prime position for fantasy success and make him a must-start in superflex leagues and a valuable backup in single-quarterback leagues."

If you're looking for a deep sleeper on your fantasy football team, you might want to consider Jalen Nailor. He projects as Minnesota's WR3 and is coming off a season in which he racked up 414 receiving yards and six touchdowns. O'Connell expects big things from Nailor this season.

"He had a great year last year," O'Connell said last week. "There's always gonna be some plays here and there that you want back, but I thought just the ability for him to step in early after Jordan (Addison) gets the ankle (injury) against the Giants, to have the training camp that Speedy did to be able to handle what we asked of him, not only in the weeks that followed but in that game against the Giants, to basically assume multiple roles, I thought that was really a precursor to what was a great year for Speedy, showing such versatility."

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