It is hard to dispute Vikings WR Justin Jefferson’s greatness after what we have seen him do over the past three seasons. He has broken oodles of NFL and Vikings franchise records while dominating as a receiver both on the boundary and in the slot.
It seems that PFF’s Nathan Jahnke agrees with this sentiment, at least in terms of fantasy football production, as in his fantasy football wide receiver rankings, the analyst has named Jefferson the king of fantasy as WR1 heading into the year. Take a look at what Jahnke had to say of the Vikings WR:
Jefferson was the clear top wide receiver in football last season, and he is showing no signs of slowing down.
- He led all wide receivers last season with 7.5 receptions per game for 106.4 yards and 21.7 PPR points.
- He has achieved a 90.0-plus PFF receiving grade in all three seasons of his NFL career.
- He recently turned 24 years old, so he’s still at a point in his career where he should be improving.
- Among the elite wide receiver options, he has the best combination of great offense and not as much competition for targets.
Jefferson is featured in a “Tier 1” of receivers that also includes Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, LA’s Cooper Kupp, and Miami’s Tyreek Hill. Jefferson is the only player of that group with at least 1500 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons.
The Vikings 2020 first-round pick isn’t the only player from their 2023 roster featured on Jahnke’s ranking, though. In addition, Jordan Addison snuck in at WR35, ranking the highest of any rookie receiver. Here is what the PFF analyst had to say of Addison’s potential this season:
Addison is the most likely rookie wide receiver to become a fantasy starter in 2023.
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Quentin Johnston landed with teams where they are stuck as the third receiver on the depth chart for at least their rookie season.
- Zay Flowers joined the Baltimore Ravens, who were the sixth-run-heaviest team last season and are the run-heaviest team over the past five years.
- Minnesota moved on from the 32-year-old Adam Thielen, who spent the past seven seasons as a starting receiver.
- Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn will remain starters in three-receiver sets with Addison joining the lineup.
- Addison should be able to jump Osborn on the depth chart to be the team’s No. 2 wide receiver.
Of course, we cannot overlook the fact that Addison was hit with a reckless driving charge late Wednesday night for driving 140 MPH in a 55-zone. It remains unclear at this point whether or not this charge will impact his arrival to training camp on Sunday, but if he were to miss time, it certainly puts him behind the 8-ball in learning the offense, especially considering he missed OTAs as well.
However, strictly in terms of on-field talent, Addison is certainly one of the most talented receivers in this year’s draft class. Playing alongside Jefferson and K.J. Osborn as well as T.J. Hockenson should give him plenty of open opportunities, and if he takes advantage, the sky could be the limit for the young receiver.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
