Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Facing competition from rookie
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Osborn faces more competition for snaps and targets after the Vikings drafted WR Jordan Addison at No. 23 overall Thursday night, Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune reports.
Osborn took 60 percent of his snaps in the slot last year, while Addison mostly figures to play outside and take snaps/targets that previously went to Adam Thielen, who is now with the Panthers after going for 70/716/6 on 107 targets his final season in Minnesota. Addison won't automatically get more targets than Thielen did last season, but the rookie nonetheless could impact Osborn's playing time and thus receiving volume, especially given the Vikings spent big on No. 2 TE Josh Oliver earlier this offseason. The Oliver signing figures to inspire more two-TE sets than the Vikings used last year, and there's a good chance Osborn, rather than Addison, is the odd man out for those formations.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Stacks up another solid season
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Osborn caught 60 of 90 targets for 650 yards and five touchdowns while playing all 17 games in the 2022 regular season.
The 25-year-old reprised his role as the Vikings' No. 3 wideout behind superstar Justin Jefferson and longtime veteran Adam Thielen. However, Osborn finished the season as the team's fourth receiving option after that pair and tight end T.J. Hockenson, who accumulated 60 receptions for 519 yards after being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline. The third-year wideout still posted almost the exact same stat line from his breakout 2021 (50-655-7 on 82 targets). Osborn also capped off the season on a solid note by hauling in two of three targets for 20 yards and his sixth touchdown between regular season and playoffs during the wild-card loss to the Giants. With Thielen seemingly on a decline over the past two seasons, Osborn could be in line for a bigger role heading into the final year of his rookie contract in 2023.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Tops century mark
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Osborn caught five of six targets for 117 yards in Sunday's 29-13 win over the Bears.
Osborn led the Vikings in receiving, with most of his production coming prior to the team's decision to rest its offensive starters during the second half. The 25-year-old enjoyed a strong finish to the regular season, scoring three times while topping 115 yards twice over his last five games. His complementary playmaking figures to bolster quarterback Kirk Cousins' options as Minnesota now turns its attention toward the playoffs.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Week 18 Adds (WR Preview)
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Osborn has been functioning as the Vikings' No. 2 wide receiver and now gets the hapless Bears defense in Week 18. Osborn could also see an increased target share if the Vikings choose to rest Justin Jefferson. Adam Thielen, or T.J. Hockenson.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Catches three passes in win
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Osborn caught three of four targets for 17 yards in Saturday's 27-24 win over the Giants.
Osborn's underwhelming day was a disappointment for fantasy managers hoping for something close to his Week 15 performance, when the wideout caught 10 of his 16 targets for 157 yards and a touchdown. The 25-year-old remains involved as Minnesota's No. 3 receiver, as the Vikings run a high-volume passing attack. With that said, Osborn's fantasy potential is difficult to forecast with so many mouths to feed on one of the league's most talented offenses. The veteran wideout will look to get back on track when the Vikings visit the Packers in Week 17.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Week 16 Waiver Priority List
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Most likely, Osborn's performance against the Colts in Week 15 was a one-week wonder when he had 16 targets for 10 catches, 157 yards and a touchdown. The Vikings were down by 33 points and had to mount a furious comeback by throwing the ball, and prior to Week 15, Osborn had 13 targets combined in his previous four games. But he did score 14 PPR points at Detroit in Week 14 also with five catches for 38 yards on five targets, and maybe Osborn is starting to move past Adam Thielen as the preferred second receiver for Kirk Cousins behind Justin Jefferson. It's worth adding Osborn to find out, and he could be a No. 3 receiver in deeper leagues against the Giants in Week 16.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Week 16 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
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Osborn has been a pretty big bust this season, averaging fewer yards than last despite being in a more pass-heavy offense. However, Week 15 was a breakout showing from him, so let's hope he can manage to build off that. With the Vikings in desperate comeback mode, Osborn was huge, leading the team in receiving yards while matching Justin Jefferson's team-high in targets. You can't expect a repeat of that, but if you're desperate for help at WR, this kind of game showed what his upside can be.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Career-best outing in OT win
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Osborn caught 10 of 16 targets for a career-high 157 yards and one touchdown in Saturday's 39-36 overtime win over the Colts.
Osborn had a would-be 40-yard catch ruled incomplete on a challenge late in the first half, then flashed his big-play ability again on a 63-yard catch in the third quarter. Three plays later, he got into the end zone from two yards out for Minnesota's first points of the game. Osborn made another significant contribution to the largest comeback in league history (33 points) by drawing a pass interference flag in the end zone to set up the fourth of Minnesota's five second-half touchdowns. The 25-year-old wide receiver will look to build on this career-best performance in Week 16 against the Giants.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Just two receptions Sunday
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Osborn had two receptions for 17 yards on three targets in Sunday's win over the Jets.
Osborn continues to come up with big plays in key spots but just isn't getting much volume after the acquisition of T.J. Hockenson. Osborn has just nine receptions on 21 targets for 77 yards over his last five games.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Target total dips to three
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Osborn caught two of three targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 40-3 loss to the Cowboys.
Osborn's volume has oscillated from two targets in Week 9 to 11 last week before dropping back down to three. As long as all three of Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and T.J. Hockenson are healthy, Osborn will have difficulty carving out a consistent role as Kirk Cousins' fourth option in the passing game.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Gets 11 targets in win
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Osborn had four receptions for 35 yards on 11 targets and one carry for two yards in Sunday's overtime win at Buffalo.
Osborn didn't have a reception and had just two targets last week as it looked like his role would significantly decrease after the acquisition of T.J. Hockenson. However, a week later, Osborn was frequently targeted by Kirk Cousins and made several big plays. Hockensen has replaced him as the third option in the passing offense (16 receptions the past two games), but at least Osborn still looks to have a role.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: No receptions in win
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Osborn did not have a reception on two targets in Sunday's win at Washington.
Osborn played on 53 of the offense's 66 snaps and went out on 39 routes. He got about the usual playing time, but he had a season low in targets, and it was his first game this season without a catch. The acquisition of T.J. Hockenson (nine receptions) looks to have supplanted Osborn as the third option in the passing offense.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Just three receptions Sunday
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Osborn had three receptions for 18 yards in Sunday's win at Miami.
Osborn played on a season-low 58 percent of the offense's snaps but still had five targets. Minnesota generated just 175 yards passing as the offense sputtered early. Unfortunately, the focus on top targets Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen rarely leaves much for the third receiver in the Vikings offense.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Five receptions in win
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Osborn had five receptions for 41 yards on five targets in Sunday's win over Chicago.
Osborn has seen a slight increase in playing time the last two weeks to 85 percent of offensive snaps each game. He's had more than four targets just twice in five games. However, his increased playing time is a positive sign, even with the Vikings failing to target the third receiver significantly more than the past few years.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Week 4 Waiver Priority List
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I view Osborn the same way I do guys like Josh Palmer and Tyler Boyd that he's a great No. 3 receiver who could emerge as a Fantasy asset if an injury occurs. And, on occasion, he can be helpful in deeper leagues. That happened in Week 3 against Detroit when he had five catches for 73 yards and a touchdown on eight targets, and maybe he can build on that performance heading into Week 4 against the Saints. I have Osborn stashed in several leagues, and he is worth adding if you have an open roster spot for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Game-winning score against Lions
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Osborn recorded five receptions on eight targets for 73 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-24 win over the Lions.
Justin Jefferson got a lot of attention from the Detroit defense, which opened up the field for some of the Vikings' peripheral receiving options. Osborn was among them, and he recorded a pair of 28-yard receptions -- the latter of which proved to be the game-winning touchdown. Osborn will continue to produce inconsistently as the third option -- at best -- in Minnesota's passing attack, but he has shown the ability to contribute in a significant way in each of the last two seasons.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Just two targets Monday
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Osborn had two receptions for 25 yards on two targets in Monday's loss at Philadelphia.
It's not a good sign for Osborn's role in the offense that he was targeted just twice in a game where the Vikings were forced to air it out after falling behind early (Kirk Cousins had 46 passing attempts). Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson had 19 combined targets and Irv Smith had eight targets, so while Osborn was on the field for 47 of the offense's 61 snaps and ran 42 routes, he wasn't really in the game plan. Despite a new head coach in Minnesota, the No. 3 receiver continues to be an afterthought in the offense.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Three receptions in season opener
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Osborn had three receptions for 14 yards on four targets in Sunday's win over Green Bay.
Osborn played on 42 of the offense's 62 snaps. Despite talk of the Vikings using more three-receiver sets this season, he saw about the same usage as last season even with no fourth or fifth receiver getting snaps on offense. He was tied for the third-most targets and should have bigger games, but the bulk of targets in the offense still go to Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
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Osborn is like Boyd in that he's a handcuff who can also help you in deeper leagues. Osborn will be the No. 3 receiver in Minnesota behind Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, but Osborn stepped up last season when Thielen battled injuries. Osborn had eight games last year with at least five targets, and he scored at least 14 PPR points in seven of them. The Vikings have said all offseason that Osborn will have a bigger role this year, and he could emerge as a No. 3 receiver in deep, three-receiver leagues. He's worth at least 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Week 1 Priority List
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Osborn is like Boyd in that he's a handcuff who can also help you in deeper leagues. Osborn will be the No. 3 receiver in Minnesota behind Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, but Osborn stepped up last season when Thielen battled injuries. Osborn had eight games last year with at least five targets, and he scored at least 14 PPR points in seven of them. The Vikings have said all offseason that Osborn will have a bigger role this year, and he could emerge as a No. 3 receiver in deep, three-receiver leagues. He's worth at least 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
