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Fantasy Football: Adam Thielen will bounce back in 2020

By Matthew Catalano

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 28: Adam Thielen #19 of the Minnesota Vikings catches the ball in the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game against the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 28: Adam Thielen #19 of the Minnesota Vikings catches the ball in the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game against the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 30: Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs (14) and Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver Adam Thielen (19) look on from the sideline during an NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears on December 30, 2018 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Some grumblings were going on from both Thielen and fellow teammate Stefon Diggs about how quarterback Kirk Cousins was not throwing to them enough. As soon as both these stars spoke out, the coaching staff tried getting them more involved in their offensive plans.

Week 5 was Thielen’s best game of the season as he had a vintage moment collecting seven of eight throws for 130 yards and two scores against the Giants. It was the only game in the regular season where he topped over 100 yards in a single contest. Thielen then saw the same number of targets the following week when they hosted Philadelphia, but his yardage production dipped. He only had 57 yards receiving but managed to salvage his day with another touchdown.

That was the last time we would see Thielen be productive on the gridiron before the NFC Wild Card game against the New Orleans Saints. The remainder of October along with November and December were pretty dismal months for the Vikings’ slot receiver.

He suffered a hamstring injury in Week 7 versus the Lions and had to exit the game early. He missed the following week and returned too soon to play in Week 9 against Kansas City. He aggravated his injury in that contest and had to leave the game prematurely once again. He wound up missing an extended period of playing time and only played in two more games after that.

All in all, it was not a good year for Thielen and many fantasy managers suffered from it. A lot of us were anticipating him to produce as a high-end WR2 to low-end WR1 this year. Instead, he was one of fantasy’s biggest flops in 2019. A lot of it isn’t his fault entirely. Injuries and spotty quarterback play were the main culprits for his struggles.

The good news is how well he played against the Saints in the playoffs. That right there showcased what he is capable of so we know he didn’t miss a step in his playing ability. In New Orleans, he caught seven passes for 129 yards as the Vikings defeated the Saints 26-20 in overtime.

He even caught a 43-yard pass from Cousins that set up the game-winning touchdown to Kyle Rudolph to send the Vikings to San Francisco in the Divisional round.

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