Jalen

Nailor

J.J. McCarthy once again displayed a nice connection with Nailor, who finishes the 2025 season with 395 yards and four touchdowns on 26 receptions as the Vikings’ distant WR3 behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Nailor, 26, will enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. He could stick with the Vikings after showing a solid connection with McCarthy, who is likely to compete for the starting role in Minnesota in 2026.

Nailor made the most of man coverage in the red zone, scoring twice from inside 20 yards - once in the first quarter and once in the final frame. He appeared to have the wind knocked out of him on his first touchdown, a beautiful catch in blanket coverage to the left side of the end zone with a defender draped on his back. He landed hard and remained down on the turf before returning to the game on the following possession. Nailor has more than returned value in fantasy circles as the WR3 for the Vikings this season and could become a heralded target in the late-middle rounds in best ball in 2026.

Nailor ran a route on 21 of the Vikings’ 38 drop backs and failed to record a reception for the third time this season. Nailor appeared set to see an increased role in the Minnesota offense with Adam Thielen listed as a healthy scratch for this game. There’s just not that many attempts or air yards to go around this Vikings offense for a tertiary option like Nailor to hold any fantasy value. He should remain on waiver wires ahead of Week 14.

Coming off a career game in which he caught five balls for 124 yards and a score, Nailor was JJ McCarthy’s fourth option in this one. Nailor ran a route on 21 of the team’s 34 drop backs. Nailor likely won’t have much fantasy value unless Justin Jefferson or Jordan Addison miss time in the coming weeks.

Nailor got things started early in this one. The fourth-year receiver hauled in a beautifully thrown deep ball from J.J. McCarthy on the game’s opening possession, which helped set up an eventual touchdown run by Aaron Jones. Nailor would later haul in an 18-yard pass in the second quarter on a drive that ended in a field goal, and was rewarded for his efforts late in the game when McCarthy found him in the end zone for a 10-yard score in which Nailor executed a perfect toe drag to stay in bounds. Nailor was the lone bright spot for the Vikings on Sunday, but fantasy managers shouldn’t expect days like this. He can be avoided in Week 11 against the Bears.

He had another catch — for a touchdown — taken off the board in the first half due to holding penalty. While Nailor has not gone over 40 yards in any game this year, he seems to be producing fairly well when he is targeted and could be FLEX option if any of the options ahead of him in the Minnesota pecking order go down to injury.

Nailor split the WR3 duties with Adam Thielen and even running back Zavier Scott in this game. He caught a two-yard touchdown toss in the fourth quarter and brought down a two-point conversion grab. Nailor is a solid rotational player for the Vikings but doesn’t have much fantasy value heading into Week 5.

Nailor remains buried behind Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and the backfield in the target pecking order for the Vikings, leaving little room for weekly fantasy value. He should remain on the waiver wire, until further notice.

Nailor is firmly on track to suit up in Week 1 against the Bears. Unfortunately, he could be fourth in the passing game pecking order, playing behind Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and T.J. Hockenson. Nailor cannot be relied on to return FLEX value in 12-team leagues, instead profiling as a low-floor WR6.

The Vikings recently brought back Adam Thielen via trade, with Jordan Addison set to serve a three-game suspension, and immediately listed Thielen as the fill-in No. 2 wide receiver. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that “Minnesota envisions a key role for Nailor, especially with Jordan Addison out via suspension,” but that’s tough to trust given his injury and the recent personnel development. Nailor is best-suited to single-game DFS lineups and should really only be considered for flex duties in 14-team leagues.