K.J. Osborn vs. Tyler Conklin: Who Will Step Up With Adam Thielen Out for Vikings?
By Peter Dewey
Minnesota Vikings receiver Adam Thielen is out with an ankle injury in Week 14, which means a few players are going to have to step up behind Justin Jefferson against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
One of those players is K.J. Osborn, who is projected to have 42.5 receiving yards at WynnBET on Thursday, and I explained why I like the OVER for him in this matchup.
“K.J. Osborn is in for a bigger role in Week 14 with Thielen out, and he played 92 percent of the snaps and made five catches for 47 yards last week when Thielen was injured.
“Osborn has hit the over on this number three other times this year when he was operating as the No. 3 receiver, so I think he could be in line for a solid game with Minnesota potentially going to a pass-heavy game script if Dalvin Cook (questionable) sits out.”
While Osborn saw an uptick in usage with Thielen out in Week 13, tight end Tyler Conklin saw a bigger role as well.
The tight end saw a season-high nine targets, catching seven, for 56 yards. He played 95 percent of the snaps in the loss to the Detroit Lions, which was his highest snap percentage of the season.
Conklin is +235 at WynnBET to score this week, while Osborn is +250. Both players are likely to have increased roles, but who is the better player to bet on in this matchup?
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Despite the fact that Conklin had a two-touchdown game earlier this season, both players have just three scores on the season.
Osborn has played far less snaps than Conklin in terms of percentage, so I actually think he has some value tonight as his workload is going to nearly double with Thielen out of the lineup.
Kirk Cousins’ favorite red zone target may be Thielen, so if Jefferson draws the most attention from the Steelers, maybe Osborn can assume Thielen’s role on Thursday night.
The Vikings are 3-point home favorites over the Steelers at WynnBET.