Which wideout is the smarter buy in 2023 fantasy drafts?
For years, the Minnesota Vikings have produced dominant fantasy wide receivers who were developed in their system. Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen were are strong tandem, but Diggs was traded and Thielen was released when their contracts became too big. The pick Minnesota received in the Diggs trade was used on Justin Jefferson, who is regarded as one of league’s top receivers. With Thielen gone, the question has become who will be the No. 2 guy among Vikings wide receivers – K.J. Osborn or first-round draft pick Jordan Addison?
Like Diggs, Osborn was a fifth-round draft pick (in 2020). He emerged in his second season, catching 50 passes for 655 yards and seven touchdown. His biggest impact came late in the season when Thielen was out with injury. In the final seven games, Osborn caught 19 passes for 290 yards and five touchdowns, setting the table for 2022.
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He followed up with another strong showing as the No. 3 guy (60-650-5) but previewed the changing of the guard in the final month of the regular season. In the last four games, Osborn caught 25 passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns, while Thielen nabbed just seven passes 71 yards and two TDs.
With Thielen gone, Osborn had the inside track to be the WR2 … until the team used its first-round pick on Addison. In three seasons (two at Pitt and one at USC), Addison caught 219 passes for 3,134 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was a two-time All-ACC pick and an All-Pac-12 honoree in 2022.
While he doesn’t have ideal strength or size, he was universally regarded as the best route runner in the draft class and has the speed to do damage at all three levels. Kirk Cousins is a precision, timing-based passer who puts the ball where it supposed to be, and Addison’s elite route running consistently creates separation for easy completions.
Update: Addison was given a citation Thursday, July 20, for reckless driving after being pulled over for allegedly going 140 mph at 3 a.m., which could open him up to punishment from the NFL.
The Vikings are coming off a very successful season (13-4) despite having one of the league’s worst defenses. The decision to release Dalvin Cook fundamentally changed the offense and has led many to believe Minnesota will be passing much more like head coach Kevin O’Connell experienced with the Los Angeles Rams when he served as Sean McVay’s nominal offensive coordinator.
O’Connell is the key to this equation. He inherited a veteran-heavy roster when hired after Minnesota cut ties with head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman. They weren’t “his guys.” In his first draft, five of the first six picks were to help a woeful defense, and the only offensive pick was a guard. He had the chance to add a playmaker to replace Thielen and jumped on Addison in April’s draft.
Fantasy football outlook
The value of both players will be impacted by Jefferson as the main guy and tight end T.J. Hockenson as the No. 2 option. Osborn may start the season as the WR2, but Minnesota will operate out of so many three-wide receiver sets that second and third guys are effectively interchangeable.
In the internal battle, the edge goes to Addison, presuming the reports of his undisclosed injury absence in late May’s OTAs is indeed minor, as described, and doesn’t linger into training camp or lead to a setback. He is worthy of being a fantasy WR4, while Osborn will likely fall into the WR5/WR6 range. In this offense, there are going to be opportunities in the pass game, which could make both of them value picks in the late rounds of fantasy drafts.
