Prepare to draft Jordan Addison in fantasy football

We’re getting closer. . .and yet, somehow, not close enough. . .to the start of the 2023 NFL season. That means we’re getting closer to fantasy football drafts everywhere, and apparently one of the newest members of the Minnesota Vikings is worth keeping an eye on.

Trevor Sikkema from Pro Football Focus posted one takeaway from each NFL team in the wake of this year’s selection meeting, and his tidbit for the purple centers around first-round pick Jordan Addison. Sikkema goes so far as to declare that Addison will be the top rookie receiver in fantasy football this season.

With Adam Thielen gone, the Vikings knew they had to make a splash at receiver at some point in the draft. They did so with their first-round pick, and with it they acquired one of the most ready-made route runners the draft had to offer. As a former Biletnikoff Award winner, Addison knows how to handle being the focal point of a passing attack. He should be able to step in right away and take on some or all of the 107 targets Thielen saw on this team last season.

Keep in mind that Addison was the fourth wide receiver taken in last week’s draft, a spot not totally dissimilar to where Justin Jefferson found himself a few years ago when he was the fifth wideout off the board. Jefferson has, obviously, turned into the best wide receiver from his draft class. Could Addison see a similar rise?

Well, if you figure that Addison isn’t going to be seeing a whole lot of double teams this coming season with Jefferson on one side of the formation and T.J. Hockenson patrolling the middle of the field, it certainly isn’t out of the question. I didn’t realize that Thielen had gotten 107 targets last season, but if Addison gets that many in 2023 he’s going to put up some pretty huge numbers.

Obviously, we won’t know whether or not Sikkema’s prediction will come true or not until the end of the regular season, but as it stands right now it certainly doesn’t sound that outrageous, at least to me.