Is Van Jefferson playing against the Arizona Cardinals tonight, or will a shoulder injury keep him out of the Wild Card round? Here’s the latest on the Los Angeles Rams WR’s status and what fantasy football should expect.
Update 01/17/22: Rams WR Van Jefferson is officially active and will play tonight against the Cardinals. Who out of Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr., and Van Jefferson presents DFS value tonight?
Is Van Jefferson playing tonight vs. the Cardinals?
Jefferson has had a roller coaster of a week on the injury report. He was listed as a full participant on Thursday, giving fans the impression he would be ready to go tonight. However, on Friday’s report, he was back to a limited practice.
His status is now up in the air as a result, and Jefferson will be a game-time decision for the Rams. They’ll be desperately hoping he’s ready to go. His role has grown in the offense in the absence of Robert Woods.
Jefferson’s 2021 season with the Rams
Jefferson has consistently improved since being drafted in the second round in the 2020 NFL Draft. The former Florida Gator was splitting his targets with numerous other Gator receivers, but the Rams liked his talent and selected him 57th overall.
Jefferson has a reputation for stellar route running and safe hands, and those tools have translated exceptionally well into his role in LA. With the Rams losing Woods for the season to a torn ACL, Jefferson had to step up into a larger role — and he has done exactly that.
With Odell Beckham Jr. now in Los Angeles, the Rams have one of the most talented wide receiver trios in the league. Cooper Kupp and Beckham attract a vast amount of attention, often leaving Jefferson in favorable one-on-one situations.
As a result, Jefferson finished the regular season with 50 catches for 802 yards and 6 touchdowns. He averaged a strong 16 yards per reception.
Fantasy expectations for Jefferson
Jefferson’s 170 fantasy points this year came as a pleasant surprise to those who took a chance on him in their drafts. The receiver had shown what he could do as a rookie, but with only 19 catches for 220 yards, it was difficult to justify a roster spot for him.
However, it wouldn’t have taken long for fantasy owners to start picking him up. He opened the season with a long touchdown against the Bears, resulting in an 80-yard, 1-TD game.
Jefferson produced an 800+ yard season while being the Rams’ WR3 all year. I’d certainly be holding onto him through the offseason. Having seen what he can do, and with the Rams (as usual) dealing with salary cap questions, do they elect to bump Jefferson into a WR2 role and allow Beckham to hit the free-agent market?