Tag: Justin Jefferson

Fantasy football draft: Where to target Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson

Analyzing Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson’s 2021 fantasy football ADP and where you should target him in your drafts.

The 2020 season was a surprising success for Minnesota Vikings rookie WR Justin Jefferson. Below, we look at Justin Jefferson’s 2021 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should select him.

The fifth wide receiver selected in last year’s draft, the first-year player out of LSU outperformed nearly all expectations, leading the Vikings in receptions (88), finishing fourth in the league in receiving yards (1,400) and ranking sixth among wideouts in total fantasy points (182.2, standard scoring).

Justin Jefferson’s ADP: 33.52

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com)

That equates to the 33rd-best ADP on the board, ranking him right behind Kansas City Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire and just in front of Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase.

Jefferson checks in with the seventh-highest ADP among receivers. Tyreek Hill (Chiefs, ADP: 15.17), Davante Adams (Green Bay Packers, ADP: 20.82), Stefon Diggs (Buffalo Bills, ADP: 21.73), DeAndre Hopkins (Arizona Cardinals, ADP: 26.82), DK Metcalf (Seattle Seahawks, ADP: 26.98) and Calvin Ridley (Atlanta Falcons, ADP: 30.28) rank higher.

Right behind Jefferson in wide receiver ADP are Chase, A.J. Brown (Tennessee Titans, ADP: 35.42), Michael Thomas (New Orleans Saints, ADP: 38.60) and Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers, ADP: 42.02).

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Justin Jefferson’s 2020 stats

Receiving: 125 targets, 88 receptions, 1,400 yards

Touchdowns: 7

Fumbles: 1 (0 lost)

Total fantasy points: 182.2 (sixth among WRs, Huddle standard scoring) / 270.2 (seventh, Huddle PPR)

Where should you take Justin Jefferson in your fantasy football draft?

If we’re talking about a start-up dynasty or double-digit keeper league, Jefferson is a no-brainer first-rounder. Our main focus here, though, is on 10- and 12-team redraft leagues where Jefferson will fall some — but not too far. Let us first set the 2021 stage.

Aside from departed free-agent TE Kyle Rudolph, pretty much the same offensive cast returns in Minnesota. QB Kirk Cousins is back at the helm with RB Dalvin Cook toting the rock, the up-and-coming Irv Smith steps in as the top tight end and veteran WR Adam Thielen will play a productive No. 2 WR role to keep opposing defenses from shading too much coverage Jefferson’s way.

JJ could certainly see more targets than the 125 he had a season ago (ranking 16th among wide receivers) but his elite 11.2 yards-per-target average — which ranked fourth among players who had at least 50 targets — certainly is due to fall back to the pack.

It all leaves Jefferson as a lower-tier WR1 and a player you should be actively targeting late in Round 2 in 12-team drafts and any time in the third round in 10-team formats.

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Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook listed as Vikings’ reasons for optimism

The Vikings have plenty of reasons to be positive for 2021. Here are two of them:

Minnesota’s 2020 did not go as planned, but the team still had some positive takeaways. The Vikings skill position players thrived as the defense failed to get stops.

Bleacher Report thinks two of those skill position players are reasons for optimism. Kristopher Knox, who writes for B/R, tabbed Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson as two sources of positivity for Vikings fans. Knox wrote:

“Running back Dalvin Cook missed two games in 2020 but still finished with a career-high 1,557 rushing yards, 361 receiving yards and 17 total touchdowns. Then-rookie receiver Justin Jefferson caught 88 passes for a whopping 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns.

In Cook and Jefferson, the Vikings have two viable Offensive Player of the Year candidates. If Cook can stay healthy and Jefferson can take another step as a pro, these two could drag Minnesota into the postseason.”

On the other side of the ball, the Vikings revamped the defense with big-ticket free agents, such as Patrick Peterson and Dalvin Tomlinson. If Minnesota can get more stops and players on offense like Cook and Jefferson can stay healthy, this team has a chance at the postseason at least.

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Former LSU wide receiver sends a strong message to his doubters

As a rookie, the former LSU wide receiver caught 88 passes for 1,400 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

[autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] is already a star in the National Football League, and he’s just getting started.

As a rookie, the former LSU wide receiver caught 88 passes for 1,400 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. [autotag]Minnesota Vikings[/autotag] fans quickly realized how talented a receiver Jefferson is, and with the former LSU Tiger recently turning 22 years of age; it’s safe to say he has a lot left to prove.

Earlier this week Jefferson took to Twitter to make sure his doubters are aware that they are still motivating him this year.

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Jefferson was already motivated by all of the teams who passed on him in the [autotag]2020 NFL Draft[/autotag]. Jefferson may also be motivated if he feels snubbed by not winning last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Vikings fans should feel good about their new stud wide receiver.

Big things are ahead for Jefferson in Minnesota.

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Four Vikings crack Touchdown Wire’s list of top 101 NFL players

The Minnesota Vikings landed four players on Touchdown Wire’s top 101 list.

Our friends at Touchdown Wire compiled a list of the top 101 NFL players, and Minnesota was represented with four players in the rankings.

Here is a little bit about Touchdown Wire’s methodology for the list:

“Recently, Mark Schofield and [Doug Farrar] compiled 14 different lists of the best NFL players at every position. From those names, we then compiled this list of the top 101 players in the NFL today. In this top 101, we forced ourselves to stick to players we had named in the positional lists, to avoid overdoing “skill position players” at the expense of slot cornerbacks, guards and interior defensive linemen.”

Notably, Harrison Smith, Adam Thielen, Anthony Barr and Danielle Hunter were snubbed from Touchdown Wire’s list of top players. Maybe some of those Vikings — especially Barr and Hunter, who suffered serious injuries last year — can make the list in the 2022 offseason.

Here are the Minnesota players who made it:

PFF lists three Vikings players to build around

Who are some players you think the Minnesota Vikings can build around for the future?

Who are some Minnesota players the team can build around?

Some Vikings players are great, but maybe they’d be difficult to build around due to their position. You can put Harrison Smith, Erik Kendricks and others in that category.

There are also some Minnesota players who might have been good to build around a few years ago, but now they’re probably too old. You can put Adam Thielen in that category and, yes, Smith in that category once again.

However, the Vikings still have some great players to build off of for future seasons. Hopefully for the team, these three stick around Here is PFF’s list:

A look at the all-time leading receivers in LSU Tigers football history

A look back at LSU Tigers football history and the all-time leading receivers for the school.

Looking back at the history of the LSU Tigers football program, we have broken down the all-time leading passers and rushers. We shift focus to the pass catchers. Looking over the all-time leaders, there have been many notable receivers to run through Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The names of Rueben Randle, Malachi Dupre, and Terrace Marshall Jr of recent years didn’t even crack the top 20 list. Others, fans will be very familiar with. Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry are one of the duos to make the cut. Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson also made an appearance among the top.

LSU Tigers Wire takes a look at the top wide receivers to catch passes in Death Valley:

Former LSU Tigers receiver Justin Jefferson among NFL’s top 10 outside receivers

According to Touchdown Wire, former LSU Tigers WR Justin Jefferson proved to be one of the 10 best outside threats after one season.

During his two seasons as a starter for the LSU Tigers, Justin Jefferson was one of the more productive receivers in all of college football. During his junior campaign, he and Joe Burrow were quite a pair as they helped lead LSU to a national championship and a perfect 15-0 campaign in 2019. He finished third in the nation with 1,540 yards and second on the team to Ja’Marr Chase.

Heading into the NFL, he was selected by the Minnesota Vikings who traded away their top pass catcher in Stephon Diggs. No one could foresee just how much of an impact the rookie receiver would make.

According to Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield, Jefferson is the No. 8 outside receiver in the league. Quite an accomplishment after just one season catching passes from Kirk Cousins in Minneapolis.

In the run-up to the 2020 NFL draft, there were some who looked at LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson and questioned his value in the first round. Why? Because the LSU Tigers used him almost exclusively out of the slot in his final year in college, with tremendous results. But is a slot receiver worthy of a first round pick?

Absolutely, when he also has the ability to play on the outside, as some argued.

Jefferson had a huge rookie season, catching 88 passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns. Those receiving yards set a record for rookie WRs, and he was also named to a Pro Bowl for his efforts. As you’ll see in these videos, Jefferson is already among the game’s best thanks to his combination of footwork, releases and concentration. – Schofield

Heading into year two of his NFL career, Jefferson is looking to build upon the impressive rookie campaign. He joined fellow teammate Adam Thielan as two of the best outside receivers in the league. Can the duo bring Minnesota back to the top of the NFC North in 2021?

Vikings’ Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson ranked among best NFL outside receivers

See where Vikings WRs Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson rank among the NFL’s best outside receivers.

The Minnesota Vikings might have a question mark for the wide receiver three position, but the two players on the depth chart are among the best in the NFL.

Our friends at Touchdown Wire seem to agree. Mark Schofield, who writes for the outlet, recently ranked the best outside receivers in the league. Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson both ranked in the top 15 on his list.

Thielen also ranked on Touchdown Wire’s list for top slot receivers. Because Jefferson and Thielen provide some versatility, they could theoretically be considered slot or outside receiving targets.

Here is where Thielen and Jefferson rank among the best outside receivers:

Vikings’ Adam Thielen named the sixth-best slot receiver in the NFL

Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen was recently ranked the No. 6 slot receiver in the league. Fair or foul?

Minnesota’s two best wideouts are both players who can do damage in the slot.

Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson have both thrived as slot receivers and also made plays out wide. For the Vikings, it’s Thielen who ranks in Touchdown Wire’s top list of best slot receivers in the NFL.

Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire wrote:

“Thielen was the team’s most reliable and estimable slot receiver last season, catching 26 of 34 targets for 326 yards and five touchdowns. Thielen doesn’t have the jets he used to, but he understands his role, and he’s certainly capable of taking advantage when a bad defense (Hello, Cowboys) overspills to Jefferson.”

Players like Cooper Kupp and JuJu Smith-Schuster ranked ahead of Thielen, which is definitely debatable. Also, Tyreek Hill claimed the No. 1 spot on the list, which is hard to argue against.

One LSU Tigers wide receiver touted as a breakout star in 2021

LSU Tigers WR Kayshon Boutte could be in for a huge season in 2021.

Over the last several seasons, the LSU Tigers have been rich at the wide receiver position. This past NFL draft, the team saw Ja’Marr Chase be selected in the top 10 to join former teammate Joe Burrow in Cincinnati. Since 2017, the Tigers have produced seven wide receivers to be selected. Last year the Minnesota Vikings selected Justin Jefferson and it paid off immediately. He was named to the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro for his 1,400-yard campaign.

Given the amount of talent leaving for the pro level, the team has to replace that production. No Chase this year or even Terrace Marshall Jr, who was taken by the Carolina Panthers in the second round. Which wideout will step up to the challenge in 2021 to help lead the Tigers offense?

According to ESPN’s Alex Scarborough, the breakout star candidate for the LSU Tigers is wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (subscription required).

It’s understandable if you missed Kayshon Boutte’s late arrival last season. LSU was struggling to get to .500 at the time the former four-star prospect really started to show what he was capable of. Without Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall, Boutte emerged as the Tigers’ go-to playmaker on offense — a true burner and downfield threat. If he can do even half as well as he did in the final three games last season, when he had a combined 527 yards and four touchdowns against Alabama, Florida and Ole Miss, then he could find himself in the conversation for the top receivers in college football.

The Tigers might have seen Marshall score the most touchdowns and have the most receptions on the team, but it was Boutte that stood out. He racked up more yards than Marshall on a per-catch basis. Not to mention, Boutte also led the team in receiving yards. It appears he will be ready to roll as the top pass catcher for the Tigers. Especially with the No. 3 receiver on the team Arik Gilbert heading back home to play for Georgia.

It will be important for him to get off to a fast start in 2021 to help out a run game that was mildly inconsistent in 2020.