Jordan

Addison

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.

Seifert earlier reported that Addison and Felton had left with “what looked like hand/arm injuries.” Neither resumed practicing for Wednesday, but seem to be fine moving forward, according to Seifert. The Vikings avoid a major injury with Addison, but he is still set to miss the first three games of the season. Felton is the team’s third-round rookie and in line to compete with Jalen Nailor for the WR3 role this season. Both are still on track for Week 1, but with Nailor (hand) currently week-to-week, the Vikings may still look to acquire a veteran receiver.

We don’t have confirmed status updates from the team yet, but The Athletic’s Alec Lewis believes Addison jammed “something” and that Felton “looked like he dinged his arm.” Felton, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, walked off the field with a wrap on his left hand. If there’s one thing that would accelerate trade talks for wideouts ahead of last cuts, it’s more injuries to this room. The Vikings should update Addison’s (and Felton’s) status in the coming days.

Addison and the rest of the starters played a single series against the Texans, with the talented third-year receiver clearly operating as the top option through the air in the absence of Justin Jefferson. He’ll need to serve a three-game suspension before contributing on the field during the regular season, but Addison remains an upside WR2 on a point-per-game basis entering 2025 after amassing 19 total touchdowns his first two years in the league.

The suspension stems from a DUI arrest that Addison eventually pleaded down to a lesser charge known as wet reckless. The Vikings were reportedly bracing for a three-game suspension already, so the news isn’t much of a surprise. Still, it confirms that they will be without their big-play WR2 for the first three games, contests versus Chicago, Atlanta, and Cincinnati. Jalen Nailor will likely step in as the team’s second starting receiver for those games, giving him some early-season fantasy appeal for managers who wait at wide receiver. To no one’s surprise, Justin Jefferson will continue to dominate targets in Addison’s absence while T.J. Hockenson could increase his role as well.