The Minnesota Vikings are holding their breath after second-year wide receiver Justin Jefferson went down in practice with an apparent shoulder injury.
The injury happened on the last play of 11-on-11 drills when Jefferson caught a slant from quarterback Kirk Cousins with cornerback Bashaud Breeland in coverage. Jefferson landed hard on his shoulder and was in serious discomfort, staying on the ground for several moments before walking inside under his own power.
Jefferson’s injury comes one week after fellow Vikings wide receiver Bisi Johnson tore his ACL in training camp.
PFF injury analyst Mario Pilato speculated on Twitter that the Jefferson injury appeared to be a sprained AC joint but also added that it could be even worse.
Looks like a sprained AC joint. Could be a possible clavicle fracture or if the shoulder subluxed then a labrum injury is possible. https://t.co/CbUfRU9xrG
— Mario Pilato (@mario_pilato) August 6, 2021
ESPN's Adam Schefter clarified later in a tweet that Jefferson indeed suffered a sprained AC joint and will get further testing over the weekend.
FANTASY IMPACT
Current Projections — Jefferson is currently PFF’s WR7 in PPR and non-PPR scoring formats according to 2021 player projections. He is projected at 88 receptions, 1,375 yards and seven touchdowns (182.8).
Current Fantasy Rankings — According to PFF’s team of seven fantasy football analysts, the consensus ranking for Jefferson in 2021 is WR6 in PPR scoring formats and WR8 in non-PPR.
Adam Thielen Value — If Jefferson misses significant time, Thielen becomes a top-15 option at wide receiver. His PFF grade of 90.6 is the sixth-best for wide receivers over the last three seasons, and he could see a career-high in target share.
BETTING IMPACT
Vikings Win Total — Per DraftKings Sportsbook, the Vikings’ win total is set at 9.0 with the under juiced to -105. A significant injury to the team’s top receiver could draw a half-point reaction from Vegas towards the under.
Justin Jefferson Player Props — Jefferson’s receiving yards total and receiving touchdowns total isn’t currently bettable on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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