Jordan

Addison

Addison easily led the team in targets. Justin Jefferson was held to two catches on six targets for four yards while T.J. Hockenson caught all six of his targets for a team-leading 59 yards. Undrafted QB Max Brosmer, making his first NFL start, peppered Addison in the second half with the Seattle secondary shading toward Jefferson. Addison’s fantasy floor will remain low no matter which quarterback starts for Minnesota next week against the Falcons.

Only one target for Addison? Well, the Vikings didn’t really seem interested in throwing the ball for the entirety of the first half. The rest of it is the whims of J.J. McCarthy. Addison retains FLEX status at best after putting up four games of 108 receiving yards with his second-year quarterback. It’s a tough ticket to be holding as we start to enter the fantasy playoffs in a few weeks.

Addison had two crucial drops in this one before coming down with a late fourth quarter touchdown to put the Vikings up by one. His seven targets on the day were second among Minnesota pass catchers; Justin Jefferson had nine looks against the Bears. Addison’s day could have been an exceptional one if JJ McCarthy had connected with him on a wide-open downfield shot in the first quarter. He also dropped what would have been a long gain. Addison, who has ten receptions over his past four outings, will be a high-variance WR3 option in Week 12 against Green Bay.

The 11-target day suggests Addison should’ve had a much better day, but three of the targets thrown in his direction were batted down at the line, and another three were deemed “uncatchable” per the early data from TruMedia. Addison and Justin Jefferson both struggled in a day where Jalen Nailor went for an unprecedented 5-124-1 on six targets, but these underwhelming outings seem to be the norm when J.J. McCarthy is under center. Addison can’t be viewed as anything more than a low-end WR2 in Week 11 against the Bears.

With J.J. McCarthy making his first start since Week 2, Addison somewhat predictably did not have a ceiling effort, but he and McCarthy hooked up on one of the game’s biggest plays. Addison hauled in a first quarter 31-yard reception where he had to make an in-air adjustment to set the Vikes up at the Lions’ seven-yard line. They scored one play later. Elsewhere, Addison was the intended target on a heinous McCarthy pick that was overturned by a penalty. Addison’s explosive play potential will maintain with JJM under center, but both his weekly floor and ceiling odds take a major hit as the No. 2 weapon for a second-year pro who is being asked to throw just 20-25 times per game.

Addison salvaged his fantasy day with a short scoring pass from Carson Wentz. It’s a disappointing effort, but an understandable one with Wentz struggling to stay upright and throwing ineffectively even when he did have time. Addison is a WR3 for the Week 9 contest against the Lions, but one who offers some upside even with some question marks as to who will be under center for Minnesota in that contest.

Addison has gone over 100 yards or scored in every game since returning from suspension despite working mainly with Carson Wentz. This time a first-half 34-yarder could have been at least 15 yards more had Addison been thrown to in stride instead of having to work back to the ball. He managed six first down catches on his nine receptions. Addison will be on the WR2/3 line against the Chargers in Week 8.

Addison did not take the field for either of the Vikings’ first two drives of the game. Kevin O’Connell told reporters after the game that Addison was benched for missing a walk-through during the week. He started to get some reps in the second quarter and was seemingly back to a relatively normal role after halftime. Addison made good on his opportunities in the second half. He reeled in a perfectly-placed end zone shot from Carson Wentz with just seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter to take the lead. The incredible pitch and catch ultimately won Minnesota the ball game. We will presumably get more info on why Addison was benched later this week, but the issue appears to have been handled internally. Addison will be back in the WR3 ranks when his team returns to face the Eagles after their Week 6 bye.

It was Addison’s first game back from his three-week suspension and it didn’t take long for him to get in a groove. After a relatively quiet three quarters, Addison hit the big one late in the fourth. He got behind the Steelers’ defense completely uncovered and fielded a moon-ball from Carson Wentz for an 81-yard gain. Addison had to stop and wait for the ball to reach him and then turned on the jets, only for Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson to track him down inside the five-yard line. Minnesota scored a few plays later. Addison is back to his high-variance WR3 ways heading into Week 5 against the Browns.

Addison’s three-game suspension is up once the league’s calendar year flips to Week 4. He’s on track to return to the team just in time to join them for a trip to Ireland to face the Steelers, which precedes a Week 5 trip to London to face the Browns. Addison should immediately slot in as the Vikings’ No. 2 receiver opposite Justin Jefferson and will be on the WR3 radar against the Steelers.