Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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Justin Jefferson (ankle) was out in Week 4 against Miami, and Hockenson stepped up with 13 catches for 119 yards on 13 targets. It will be hard to trust Hockenson as a starter in all leagues if Jefferson is healthy, since Hockenson combined for nine catches for 76 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets in the first three games of the season. But if Jefferson remains out in Week 5 at New Orleans, then consider Hockenson a low-end starter in all leagues. He's worth adding for 5 percent of your remaining FAAB.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Big day in Week 4 win
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Hockenson caught all 13 of his targets for 119 yards in Sunday's 15-10 win over the Dolphins.
The veteran tight end emerged as Kyler Murray's favorite target in the absence of Justin Jefferson (ankle), and as a result Hockenson produced his first game with 100-plus yards since 2024, when he popped for a 7-114-0 line against the Bears in Week 12. Hockenson came into Sunday with just 76 receiving yards, so he could have trouble repeating the performance even if Jefferson misses another game, but Murray had success feeding the ball to Trey McBride last year with Arizona as well -- McBride posted a 29-275-1 line on 42 targets during the five games they were in the lineup together. Hockenson will look to keep rolling in a Week 5 road trip to New Orleans.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Jefferson injury opens opportunity
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Hockenson could be in line for an increase in targets during Sunday's Week 4 matchup against the Dolphins due to Justin Jefferson being ruled inactive for the contest.
Hockenson's 2026 campaign has gotten off to a reasonably productive start, as the veteran tight end has posted a 9-76-1 line on 13 targets through three games. While Hockenson didn't reap any tangible benefit from Jefferson's early exit during the Week 3 win over the Buccaneers -- the former recorded two receptions for 11 yards on four targets -- there's a possibility he's a lot more involved against a Dolphins team that's surrendered 15 receptions for 210 yards and two touchdowns to tight ends, along with an 88.2 percent catch rate.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Catches two passes in win
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Hockenson caught two of his four targets for 11 yards in the Vikings' 23-16 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Hockenson struggled along with the entire Vikings offense in the contest. The team relied on a single explosive rush and a single explosive pass play over the entire 60-minute game. Quarterback Kyler Murray was unable to stoke much of a passing attack against the Buccaneers, relying on a 41-yard touchdown to Jordan Addison for nearly a quarter of his passing yards on the night.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Goes for 29 yards in Week 2 win
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Hockenson caught three of four targets for 29 yards in Sunday's 9-3 win over the Bears.
Hockenson played 69.2 percent of the Vikings' offensive snaps and ran 19 routes to Josh Oliver's four on Carson Wentz's 24 dropbacks. While both tight ends are playing significant snaps for Minnesota, it's clear that Hockenson is the receiving tight end while Oliver focuses on blocking as a traditional in-line player. Through two games, Hockenson has seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. He'll be in the low-end TE1 conversation most weeks and gets Kyler Murray (concussion) back under center for next Sunday's game against the Bucs.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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I don't have high expectations for Hockenson, but he was No. 2 in targets for Minnesota in Week 1 against Green Bay with five and finished with four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown. We'll see if that continues heading into Week 2 at Chicago, and it's doubtful Jordan Addison stays quiet with no catches on two targets. I would only add Hockenson in deeper leagues for 1 percent of your remaining FAAB.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Catches touchdown in Week 1
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Hockenson caught four of five targets for 36 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 39-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Justin Jefferson easily paced the Vikings with nine targets on 24 total pass attempts, but Hockenson was second on the team with his five looks. His 16-yard touchdown in the third quarter pulled Minnesota within five points to make it 22-17 in favor of Green Bay. Hockenson averaged a career-low 29.2 yards per game last season, but improved quarterback play and being another year removed from ACL surgery has the veteran tight end potentially undervalued in fantasy this season.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Nabs TD in final camp practice
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Hockenson recorded a touchdown reception from Kyler Murray during the Vikings' final training camp practice Aug. 26, Andrew Krammer of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Hockenson played just five snaps in the Vikings' preseason opener and was rested for the final two exhibition tilts, but he's been getting in reps with the first-team offense throughout camp. After a delayed start to the 2024 campaign while he completed his recovery from a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee, Hockenson mostly stayed healthy in 2025 but was a middling fantasy option at tight end with a 51-438-3 receiving line on 66 targets over 15 games. Though Hockenson should benefit from upgraded quarterback play in 2026 after drawing targets from the likes of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer a season ago, the closest Murray has come to supporting two fantasy relevant pass catchers was in 2024, when tight end Trey McBride (111-1,146-2 line in 16 games) and wideout Marvin Harrison (62-885-8 in 17 games) both had some utility. Justin Jefferson is locked in as the clear top weapon in the passing game and should dominate the targets, but Hockenson could struggle to see consistent volume while he's vying with the likes of No. 2 receiver Jordan Addison and No. 3 receiver Jauan Jennings for the remaining looks that don't go to Jefferson.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Minimal work in preseason opener
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Hockenson played five snaps on offense and didn't show up in the box score otherwise during the Vikings' 13-10 preseason win over the Giants on Saturday.
Hockenson saw the least amount of offensive snaps among Vikings tight ends Saturday, with Bryson Nesbit (25) leading the position group in that category. Hockenson is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he logged 51 catches (on 66 targets) for 438 yards and three touchdowns across 15 regular-season games. He hasn't been the same player since his career year in 2023, which ended in late December by a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee. The Vikings added wide receiver Jauan Jennings in the offseason to be the WR3 behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and while that may reduce Hockenson's target share, he's still the top tight end on the depth chart, with Josh Oliver and Ben Yurosek operating in complementary roles.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Restructures contract
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Hockenson (shoulder) and the Vikings agreed to a restructured contract Saturday that lowers his cap number for the 2026 season by $5 million, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Minnesota continues to get closer to cap compliance with this move, getting Hockenson's league-high $21.3 million cap hit (among tight ends) down to a more palatable $16.3 million, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Hockenson missed the final two games of the 2025 regular season due to a shoulder injury, finishing it with 51 catches (on 66 targets) for 438 yards and three touchdowns in 15 appearances. He and Josh Oliver (ankle) will continue to operate as the Vikings' top two tight ends in the upcoming campaign.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Not practicing Wednesday
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Hockenson (shoulder) did not practice Wednesday.
Hockenson didn't practice in any capacity prior to being ruled out for Minnesota's win over the Lions on Christmas Day in Week 17, and he now has just two remaining chances to retake the practice field ahead of Sunday's regular-season finale against the Packers. Green Bay will be sitting multiple starters in Week 18, providing a nice opportunity for Hockenson to improve his production totals if he's able to take the field. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy (hand) was limited in practice Wednesday and is considered day-to-day.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Estimated as non-participant
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Hockenson (shoulder) is listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated injury report, Craig Peters of the Vikings' official site reports.
The Vikings didn't officially practice Monday, but Hockenson is dealing with a shoulder injury that would've prevented him from participating had the team handled on-field reps. The starting tight end played 76 percent of the offensive snaps during Minnesota's win over the Giants in Week 16, though he secured his only target for two yards during that contest. With J.J. McCarthy (hand) now looking uncertain for Thursday's divisional matchup against the Lions, Hockenson has to be considered a low-floor fantasy option for Week 17 even if he is cleared for action on Christmas Day.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Week 16 Waiver Priority List
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Hockenson had a solid game at Dallas in Week 15 with four catches for 66 yards on five targets, and he scored 10.6 PPR points. Hockenson has now scored at least 9.2 PPR points in three games in a row, and he's starting to develop a better rapport with J.J. McCarthy. Hockenson doesn't have an easy matchup in Week 16 at the Giants, who are No. 8 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends, but Hockenson is worth a look as a starter in deeper leagues.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Fine for Week 15
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Hockenson (shin) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Cowboys.
Hockenson missed Wednesday's practice but returned to limited participation Thursday. He's apparently fine to play this week, after catching two of three targets for 12 yards and a TD in the 31-0 blowout of Washington last Sunday.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Limited Thursday
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Hockenson (shin) was a limited practice participant Thursday.
One day removed from not mixing into any drills due to a shin injury Wednesday, Hockenson was back on the field, signaling that he's trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's contest at Dallas. Friday's practice report will unveil whether or not he enters the weekend with a designation for Week 15 action, but fellow TE Josh Oliver is on hand if Hockenson is inhibited or sidelined.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: TEs to Sit
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Hockenson is playing well coming into Week 15 at Dallas with at least 9.2 PPR points in each of his past two games against Seattle and Washington, and he scored a touchdown in Week 14 against the Commanders with two catches for 12 yards on three targets. But in seven games with J.J. McCarthy, Hockenson has four targets or less in six of those outings, with 39 receiving yards his best performance. And Dallas has only allowed four touchdowns to tight ends all season. I would only start Hockenson in the deepest of leagues.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: TEs to Sit
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Hockenson had a solid game in Week 13 at Seattle with six catches for 59 yards on six targets, but that was his first game with double digits in PPR since Week 7 and only the third time he's reached that mark this season. Hockenson had Max Brosmer at quarterback against the Seahawks, but Hockenson has struggled with J.J. McCarthy, who is back in Week 14. Hockenson has played six games with McCarthy and has four targets or less in five of those outings, with 39 receiving yards his best performance. There's little reason to trust Hockenson as a starter in the majority of leagues against Washington.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Leading receiver in shutout loss
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Hockenson corralled all six of his targets for 59 yards in Sunday's 26-0 loss to the Seahawks.
Hockenson was the lone bright spot for Minnesota's passing offense after converting all of his targets into a team-high 59 yards. The 27-year-old tied his previous season best with six receptions, while the yardage did represent a new high-water mark in an otherwise disappointing campaign. With a 44-358-2 receiving line through 12 starts, Hockenson is providing the bare minimum at a shallow fantasy position for managers this season. That said, he offers little upside against the Commanders next Sunday.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: TEs to Sit
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Hockenson has played five games with J.J. McCarthy and has four targets or less in four of those outings, with 39 receiving yards his best performance. There's little reason to trust Hockenson in most leagues heading into Week 12 at Green Bay. The Packers also haven't allowed a tight end to score a touchdown in their past three games against Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the Giants, and only five tight ends have scored double digits in PPR against Green Bay this year.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Three receptions in loss
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Hockenson had three receptions for 39 yards on six targets in Sunday's loss to Chicago.
There were some encouraging signs for Hockenson as the Vikings offense used him more in short routes over the middle that were lacking in quarterback J.J. McCarthy's previous starts. However, McCarthy and the passing game struggled overall, which limits Hockenson's upside. McCarthy was just 16-for-32 passing as he struggled with accuracy and had two interceptions.
