Injuries continue to wreak havoc on fantasy lineups. It’s even worse when they coincide with bye weeks. Last week, the Minnesota Vikings opened Justin Jefferson’s 21-day window for activation from IR. However, he did not return right away. When will fantasy football managers get the star WR back?
Latest Injury Update on Justin Jefferson
We last saw Justin Jefferson play in Week 5 when he scored below 24.0 fantasy points for the first time all season. His dud game was capped off by him straining his hamstring late in the Vikings’ loss to the Chiefs. Jefferson was quickly placed on IR, sidelining him for a minimum of four weeks.
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Of course, as fantasy managers are well aware, Jefferson has missed more than four weeks already. If he doesn’t play this week, it will be his sixth straight game on the sidelines.
It is definitely a good sign that the Vikings designated Jefferson to return the soonest they could. Getting him back on the practice field was the first step. However, the Vikings were never going to rush him back.
Notoriously careful with injuries, the Vikings are unsurprisingly exercising extra caution with their best player. Far too often, we’ve seen players try and return too soon from hamstring strains, only to aggravate them and miss even more time.
The Vikings are still in the thick of the playoff race and do not want to take any chances. Jefferson will return when he is ready. Last week, that wasn’t the case. For better or worse, it was not the case this week either.
Will Jefferson Play This Week?
The Vikings did not activate Jefferson ahead of the 4 p.m. ET Saturday deadline. He remains on IR and cannot play this week. It’s obviously disappointing news for fantasy managers.
With a Week 13 bye coming up, it is entirely possible that we don’t see Jefferson until Week 14. If you’re somehow still alive at that time, Jefferson will provide a massive boost to fantasy managers in the final week of the fantasy regular season.
What Does This Mean for Jefferson’s Fantasy Ranking?
Once he returns, Jefferson will immediately résumé his spot as a weekly WR1. He may not immediately vault into the top five as we wait to see what his rapport with Josh Dobbs looks like. However, he’s Justin Jefferson. He is too talented to be erased.
Upon his return, Jefferson will be an immediate must-start for fantasy managers. You will just have to wait at least one more week to get him back in lineups.
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