1. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota used the 22nd overall pick on Jefferson. The 21-year-old dominated at LSU alongside Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Jefferson caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final collegiate season, and LSU won the National Championship.
Jefferson steps into a good situation in Minnesota, especially from a fantasy football perspective. He’s projected to be the second wide receiver on Minnesota’s depth chart, only trailing Adam Thielen. With the two-time Pro Bowler coming off the worst season of his career since 2015, Jefferson could see plenty of targets early and often.
The Vikings traded away Stefon Diggs this offseason. The former fifth-round pick led Minnesota with 93 targets, 63 receptions, 1,130 receiving yards, and six receiving touchdowns this past year. In previous seasons, he trailed Thielen in those categories.
In 2018, when Diggs and Thielen both played at least 15 games, Diggs finished 12th among all wide receivers with 164.3 fantasy points in standard leagues. Thielen ranked seventh with 194.3 points.
The Vikings can produce two viable fantasy football receivers. Depending on how Thielen plays in 2020, Jefferson could see anywhere between 90 to 140 targets based on Diggs’ past experiences.
Jefferson is one of the three most-skilled rookie receivers. He’s on a winning team with an established quarterback and a Pro Bowl running mate. The LSU rookie should perform well as a fantasy receiver.
