Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Leading receiver in losing effort
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Hockenson caught 10 of 11 targets for 129 yards in Sunday's 31-24 wild-card round loss to the Giants.
The Giants were able to limit Justin Jefferson's (7-47-0) big-play ability by shading safety help in his direction, which opened up huge holes in the middle of the field for Hockenson to feast on. It was a bittersweet finish to the 2022 season for the receiving tight end, who produced new highs in receptions (86) and receiving yards (914) across 17 games between the Lions and Vikings. Hockenson thrived following the midseason trade to Minnesota, and he remains under contract next year, putting him in the upper echelon of tight ends heading into 2023.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: One catch before rest
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Hockenson caught his only target for 16 yards during Sunday's 29-13 victory versus Chicago.
Hockenson played just 33 snaps on offense, as he and fellow starters were rested in the second half. He'll have a much larger role in this week's home playoff matchup against the Giants.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: May not play full game
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Head coach Kevin O'Connell intimated Friday that Hockenson and other key starters on offense and defense may not play the entirety of the Vikings' Week 18 game in Chicago, Joe Nelson of SI.com reports. "We've got a pretty clear cut plan with how we want to go about the whole game, but we're going to go in with the expectation of our guys going and try to get off to a good start and play good football," O'Connell said.
Minnesota is assured no worse than the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs regardless of how this weekend's games transpire, but since the Vikings will need a win over the Bears plus a Cardinals win over the heavily-favored 49ers to climb to the No. 2 seed, O'Connell may not have much incentive to expose key players to an injury heading into the wild-card round. While Hockenson and all of the Vikings' other starting skill-position players look poised to play at least one series, the uncertainty of whether they'll play much beyond that makes it tough to reliably project any in Week 18 season-long or DFS lineups.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Seven grabs in Sunday's loss
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Hockenson caught seven of 12 targets for 59 yards in Sunday's 41-17 loss to the Packers.
The tight end tied K.J. Osborn for the team lead in receptions on a day when the Vikings offense mostly struggled and didn't score its first touchdown until well into the fourth quarter. Hockenson has caught at least three passes in every game since being traded to Minnesota and is just 102 receiving yards short of his first career 1,000-yard campaign, but with the team having nothing to play for in Week 18 except playoff seeding, he may not see a full workload against the Bears.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Finds end zone twice in career day
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Hockenson caught 13 of 16 targets for 109 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 27-24 win over the Giants.
The 13 grabs were a career high for the tight end, while his 100-yard performance was his first as a Viking and the third of his career. Hockenson had just a 13-143-0 line on 23 targets over his prior three games combined and won't get to face the Giants' defense every week, but he could still be productive in Week 17 against the Packers.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Nine targets in OT win
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Hockenson caught three of nine targets for 33 yards and also secured a two-point conversion in Saturday's 39-36 overtime win over the Colts.
Outside of catching a game-tying two-point conversion with 2:15 to play, Hockenson didn't contribute much to Minnesota's historic comeback from a 33-point halftime deficit. The tight end has been targeted at least six times in all six of his games as a member of the Vikings, and he should continue to play a prominent role in Minnesota's high-powered offense in Week 16 against the Giants.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Strong numbers versus old squad
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Hockenson secured six of eight targets for 77 yards in the Vikings' 34-23 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
Facing his old squad in the highly familiar environment of Ford Field, Hockenson finished second in receiving yards and tied for second in targets as well on the afternoon for the Vikings. The talented tight end's yardage tally was also his highest since his Week 9 Minnesota debut, and he's now recorded at least five catches in five of his first six games with Minnesota. Hockenson next takes aim at the Colts defense in a Week 15 home matchup on Saturday afternoon.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Top DFS Play
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Hockenson has already been an enormous part of the Vikings offense ever since he arrived. I can't imagine they don't get him at least one touchdown in his first game against the Lions.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Held to 33 yards
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Hockenson recorded four receptions on six targets for 33 yards in Sunday's 27-22 win over the Jets.
Hockenson tied Adam Thielen for second on the team in targets, and he now has at least six targets in every game since joining the Vikings. He accounted for a significant portion of his production with a 13-yard reception early in the fourth quarter on a drive that resulted in the game-winning touchdown. Despite the consistent opportunity, Hockenson has now racked up fewer than 50 receiving yards in four consecutive games.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Finds end zone in win
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Hockenson brought in five of six targets for 43 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 33-26 win over the Patriots on Thursday night.
Hockenson was Kirk Cousins' top non-wideout target for the night, and he scored his first touchdown as a member of the Vikings with a one-yard grab late in the first half. Hockenson has quickly put together a robust 26-192-1 line over his first four games in Minnesota, sending him into a Week 13 home matchup versus the Jets with plenty of momentum.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Struggles with drops Sunday
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Hockenson caught five of nine targets for 34 yards in Sunday's 40-3 blowout loss to the Cowboys.
Hockenson actually led the Vikings in receiving despite his meager output in an embarrassing loss. Minnesota's prized deadline acquisition struggled with drops Sunday, failing to pull in two throws that hit him in the hands on consecutive plays near the end zone. The 25-year-old is struggling to find separation in his new scheme, averaging just 7.1 YPC in three games since being traded after posting a mark of 15.2 with Detroit. Hockenson remains a premier fantasy asset due to his high target rate (9.3 targets/game with MIN). The athletic tight end is hoping to be thankful for his first touchdown as a Viking when Minnesota takes on New England on Thanksgiving.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Seeing heavy volume with Vikings
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Hockenson caught seven of 10 targets for 45 yards in Sunday's 33-30 overtime win over the Bills.
Hockenson has been targeted 19 times in two games with the Vikings, catching 16 of those for 115 yards. His steady diet of targets from Kirk Cousins has elevated Hockenson back into the upper echelon of the thin tight-end position, especially in PPR formats. The former Detroit tight end will face the Cowboys in Week 11. Dallas held Hockenson to four catches for 48 yards as a member of the Lions in Week 7.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Team-high catch total in debut
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Hockenson brought in all nine targets for 70 yards in the Vikings' 20-17 win over the Commanders on Sunday.
The newly acquired tight end made quite the splash in his first game in Minnesota, posting a team-high reception total while checking in second in yardage and targets to Justin Jefferson. Hockenson's robust usage and the fact he outpaced Adam Thielen by six receptions overall could signal the dawning of a new day in the Vikings offense, with head coach Kevin O'Connell apparently willing to deploy Hockenson as much more of a pass-catching asset than he did Irv Smith (ankle). Hockenson's first opportunity to build on the standout effort comes in a tough Week 10 road showdown against the Bills.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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We'll see how Hockenson does in his first game with Minnesota, but he might not have a big outing this week against the Commanders. Washington has allowed just one touchdown to a tight end all season and limited Hockenson to three catches for 26 yards on seven targets in Week 2 when he was with the Lions. Hockenson has three games this season with at least 10 PPR points and four games with eight points or less. We could see Minnesota try to feature its shiny new toy, but Washington knows that also. Hockenson should only be considered as a low-end starter in most leagues for this week.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Will have role against Commanders
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Hockenson will be a "key part" of the Vikings' offense Sunday against the Commanders, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Hockenson was traded to Minnesota on Tuesday, but he worked extra hours to get caught up on the team's game plan while preparing on a short week. Hockenson will almost certainly make his Minnesota debut Sunday, but it remains unclear exactly how much he will play. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Johnny Mundt take on a larger role as a receiver in Week 9 in the absence of Irv Smith (ankle).
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Lions' T.J. Hockenson: Team-high receiving yardage total
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Hockenson secured three of four targets for 80 yards in the Lions' 31-27 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday.
Hockenson's yardage total paced the Lions on the afternoon and was largely the result of a game-long 58-yard grab in the first quarter on a drive that culminated in a D'Andre Swift touchdown reception. Hockenson's tally through the air was also his second highest of the season, and he's recorded multiple catches in six of his first seven games. He'll aim to play an integral role once again against the Packers in a Week 9 NFC North home clash.
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Lions' T.J. Hockenson: Cleared for Sunday
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Hockenson (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against Miami, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
Neither do RB D'Andre Swift (shoulder) and WR Josh Reynolds (knee), while Amon-Ra St. Brown (concussion) is listed as questionable but tentatively expected to play. Hockenson has yet to miss a game this season despite frequently showing up on the injury report, and he's seen at least four targets in each game, albeit with 57 percent of his yardage and two of his three TDs coming in a single contest (Week 4 against Seattle).
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Lions' T.J. Hockenson: Bumps up to limited Thursday
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Hockenson (knee) was limited in practice Thursday.
After kicking off Week 8 prep with no on-field activity, Hockenson bumped up to a capped session Thursday and now has one more practice to get back to full before the Lions potentially give him a designation for Sunday's game versus the Dolphins. The offense as a whole is getting healthier with No. 1 RB D'Andre Swift (ankle/shoulder) avoiding any practice limitations this week, though top WR Amon-Ra St. Brown remains in the concussion protocol. If both are able to play this weekend, Hockenson, if active, would have more room to operate underneath.
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Lions' T.J. Hockenson: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Hockenson is one of a handful of tight ends who has the potential for modest yardage and touchdowns, so he's going to stick in most lineups. Pat Freiermuth, Tyler Higbee and Taysom Hill would start for me over him in non-PPR, but just the first two in PPR. I'm not ready to start Greg Dulcich over him; he's clearly a top-12 tight end.
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Lions' T.J. Hockenson: Dealing with knee concern
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Hockenson didn't practice Wednesday due to a knee issue.
Hockenson previously dealt with hip and foot injuries this season, but he's been able to suit up in all six of the Lions' games, earning between 76 and 91 percent of the offensive snaps on each occasion. With a new health concern in tow, his status should be watched closely as the week rolls along to ensure he'll be available this Sunday against the Dolphins. If active this weekend, Hockenson will be joined by top running back D'Andre Swift (ankle/shoulder) for the first time since Week 3 and likely wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (concussion), who were full and limited participants, respectively, at Wednesday's session.
