Fantasy Football: Searching for 2020’s top rookie wide receiver

By Ben Grivas | Aug 16, 2020

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Henry Ruggs III #11 of the Alabama Crimson Tide catches a six yard touchdown pass during the third quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings /

Justin Jefferson

Talent

Jefferson excelled in LSU last year as the most productive slot receiver in college football, putting up 111 receptions and 18 touchdowns. At the NFL combine, he placed in the 87th percentile in the 40 yard dash, 86th in the broad jump, and 82nd in the vertical. He doesn’t possess the elite tools of someone like CeeDee Lamb or Henry Ruggs, but he his hands are made of glue. He had a 92.3% contested catch rate, showcasing the reason he can be trusted with the clutch receptions.

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1292905363344433155?s=20

Opportunity

Don’t look at the departure of Stefon Diggs as a window of opportunity for Jefferson to completely fill in for Diggs. Stefon Diggs put up numbers because of his elite talent, which Jefferson doesn’t have at this stage in his career. The reason Diggs left is because he wasn’t receiving the volume that he thought he deserved, which is a major red flag for Jefferson’s prospective production.

The Vikings threw the ball 466 times last year, the third lowest total in the league. Barring an injury to Adam Thielen (which is actually a real possibility), Jefferson won’t have the opportunity to be truly fantasy-relevant in 2020. He has high-end WR4 upside, with a WR2 ceiling if Thielen misses significant time.

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