After missing the past two weeks, is Minnesota Vikings WR Adam Thielen set to return from his ankle injury in Week 16, and can fantasy football managers trust him if he does? Let’s take a look at the latest regarding Thielen’s status and what it means for fantasy managers.
Update 12/26/21: The Vikings officially announced that Adam Thielen is active and will play today against the Rams.
Is Adam Thielen playing today against the Rams?
After injuring his ankle in Week 13, Thielen has missed each of the last two weeks. He did not practice in Week 14 or Week 15 but was at least questionable heading into last week. He did not ultimately suit up, but that was a precursor to returning to practice in Week 16.
That has led to Thielen being listed as questionable for Week 16. The Vikings WR is reportedly set to return to the field this week. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Sunday morning that Thielen is pushing to play. They will reportedly see how he feels, but he will try to give it a go.
How has Thielen performed for fantasy managers this season?
It has been an up-and-down season for Thielen. Since Week 4, he has alternated two good weeks with two bad weeks. In four of the last eight weeks prior to his Week 13 injury, he scored double-digits in half-PPR formats. In the other four, he scored fewer than 10 fantasy points in each game.
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If Thielen is active, it will be hard not to start him. This game should have plenty of points scored, and without Dalvin Cook, the Vikings are going to potentially have to lean on the passing game. The Vikings have leaned heavily on Justin Jefferson over the last two weeks, so that should even out if Thielen returns and is not too limited.
K.J. Osborn stepped up in two of the last three weeks
In the absence of Thielen, Osborn had two good games in Weeks 13 and 14. However, in both of those weeks, his value largely depended on him finding the end zone. In Week 13, Osborn had 47 yards on 4 receptions before getting to 83 yards on 3 receptions in Week 14.
Unfortunately, in Week 15, Osborn could only muster 21 yards on 3 receptions. He also failed to find the end zone, meaning he disappointed fantasy managers in the first week of the playoffs. With Thielen set to return, it makes it tough for fantasy managers to lean on Osborn this week.
