Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) will not play in Sunday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Green Bay Packers, according to Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. Hockenson was unable to practice at all this week and will miss a second straight game to close out the 2025 season. The 28-year-old was highly inconsistent this year for fantasy managers as a starting tight end option, primarily because of the inconsistent play that the Vikings got out of quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Going into Week 18, Hockenson ranks as the TE23 overall in half-PPR scoring with 51 catches on 65 targets for 438 yards and only three touchdowns in 15 games played. With Hockenson out again this weekend, Josh Oliver will be the team's TE1, but he'll be a risky, touchdown-dependent TE2 streaming option for fantasy managers with McCarthy returning in Week 18.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) was held out of the team's first practice of the week on Wednesday. Hockenson didn't practice at all last week and was held out of the Christmas Day win over the Detroit Lions last Thursday. The Vikings have nothing left to play for but pride in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Green Bay Packers, so it seems likely that Hockenson will miss a second straight game to close out the 2025 season. The 28-year-old has had a second straight disappointing season in Minnesota, catching 51 of 66 targets for 438 yards and only three touchdowns while working with inconsistent young quarterback J.J. McCarthy. If Hockenson misses another contest, Josh Oliver will once again be in line for top pass-catching duties at TE for the Vikings with McCarthy potentially returning from a hand fracture.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) has been ruled out for the Christmas Day game on Thursday against the division-rival Detroit Lions after missing practice all week with a shoulder injury, according to the team. The Vikings' offense will be a shell of itself against Detroit on Thursday, with Hockenson and quarterback J.J. McCarthy (hand) being ruled out. They will also be without running back Jordan Mason (ankle). With Hockenson missing this week, Josh Oliver should operate as the team's top pass-catching tight end. But with Max Brosmer under center against Detroit, we wouldn't recommend using Oliver as a TE2 streamer in fantasy, even in the deepest of leagues. The 28-year-old has 12 receptions on the season for 123 yards and four touchdowns in his 13 games played as the backup to Hockenson.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's practice report. The Vikings conducted a walk-through on Monday, so this designation is based on an estimation from the team. Hockenson handled 75% of the snaps in the Vikings' Week 16 win over the New York Giants, but he wasn't a major receiving threat with just one catch for two yards. The 28-year-old doesn't have much time to get healthy before the Vikings' Week 17 contest on Thursday against his old team, the Detroit Lions. Josh Oliver would earn additional volume if Hockenson doesn't suit up, but he could be catching passes from Max Brosmer after J.J. McCarthy (hand) was also estimated as a non-participant.

From RotoBaller

Coming off his best yardage output of the season last week, Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson will see a tougher matchup in Week 16 when his team travels east to play the New York Giants. While the Giants are 2-12 and nobody's idea of stingy, they've been best against tight ends from a fantasy perspective. New York has struggled against other skill-position groups, but ranks eighth against PPR tight ends. Hockenson went for 66 yards on four catches last week at Dallas, but has been held under 40 receiving yards 10 times in 14 games as the Vikings have been erratic because of injuries and underperformance at quarterback. Second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy has looked significantly better in the past two weeks, but Hockenson has been quiet in so many games this year that managers should consider him a lower-end option with fantasy playoffs on deck.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson caught four passes on five targets for 66 yards, which led the way for his team in a 34-26 victory against the Dallas Cowboys. The veteran tight end appears to be developing a rapport with young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, with whom he connected for a touchdown the week prior. As the Vikings have struggled massively throughout portions of the season, Hockenson has been a fantasy disappointment who still ranks outside the top-20 PPR tight ends. But with Minnesota prioritizing its running game and tight ends in recent weeks, Hockenson will look to continue his strong finish in Week 16 at the New York Giants.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (shin) is coming off a highlight-worthy touchdown last week, but a decrease in passing volume will once again keep him as a low-end TE2 option when the Vikings travel to Dallas in Week 15. Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy played the best game of his NFL career last week, which coincided with a tight-end-friendly gameplan. All three of McCarthy's passing touchdowns went to tight ends -- two to Josh Oliver and one to Hockenson -- but just three overall targets went Hockenson's way as Minnesota prioritized its running game. The Cowboys have been abysmal against the pass overall, surrendering the most passing touchdowns and second-most yards, but receivers have done much more damage: Dallas ranks a respectable 11th against half-PPR tight ends. While Hockenson is off the injury report, he's averaging just 3.5 catches and 28.5 yards per game, so he's best saved for formats that start more than one tight end.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (shin) upgraded to a limited practice participant on Thursday. Hockenson was unable to practice on Wednesday due to a shin injury, so it's a step in the right direction for the 28-year-old to be able to play on Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15. If Hockenson were unable to play this weekend, Josh Oliver, who scored twice in last week's blowout win over the Washington Commanders, would be more attractive as a deep-league TE streamer. Hockenson caught his third touchdown of the season in Week 14, but it came on only two receptions for 12 yards on three targets. He's been pretty hard to trust as a fantasy option in 2025 with second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggling and missing plenty of time due to injuries. Hockenson has gone over 50 receiving yards just once in 13 games this year, making him a low-end TE2 in fantasy if he plays against Dallas.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (shin) was a non-participant during Wednesday's practice session. Hockenson logged his lowest snap count of the season at 56 percent during last week's win over the Washington Commanders, catching two of three targets for 12 yards and a touchdown. Hockenson could have picked up this shin issue during the game, which led to more time on the sideline. Regardless, Hockenson will need to be monitored throughout the week. If the injury is serious enough to keep him out, Josh Oliver figures to see an expanded role during the Week 15 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. Oliver hauled in two receptions for 24 yards and two touchdowns during last week's victory.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson caught one of J.J. McCarthy's career-high three touchdown passes in a Week 14 win over the Commanders, all of which went to tight ends, with Josh Oliver bringing in the other two. With the Vikings cruising to an easy victory, there was little passing volume to go around, but Hockenson's three targets tied for third on the team. Unfortunately, leading into a Week 15 matchup against an improved Cowboys defense, Hockenson provides an almost non-existent floor if he can't find the end zone again. In his last five games with McCarthy under center, he has averaged fewer than 18 yards on 2.6 receptions per game. With all NFL teams now past their bye weeks, there should be more reliable waiver options for any fantasy managers streaming the position through the playoffs.

From RotoBaller

Tight end T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings has a strong matchup against a bad Washington Commanders defense in Week 14, but fantasy managers should consider him a TE2 option due to the team's continued struggles on offense. The Commanders allow scoring drives at the highest rate in the NFL, but the Vikings are turning over the ball at the highest rate, which has been a major contributor to the team scoring on fewer than 32% of its possessions. Hockenson is coming off his best game of the year with six catches for 59 yards at Seattle, but Minnesota will experience yet another quarterback change now that starter J.J. McCarthy (concussion) is back. Even when the Vikings' offense is at its best, the veteran tight end is the team's third option behind receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, so managers may want to reserve Hockenson only for formats that start more than one tight end.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson led the team in receiving by catching all six targets for 59 yards in a 26-0 loss Sunday in Seattle. The veteran tight end was one of the very few bright spots for Minnesota, which turned over the ball five times and gained 162 total yards with undrafted rookie Max Brosmer starting at quarterback. Minnesota has now lost four straight games during which it has scored only 42 total points. The Vikings could see another change at quarterback if starter J.J. McCarthy (concussion) is deemed fit to play, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to trust anything about this offense ahead of a Week 14 game against Washington.

From RotoBaller

The Minnesota Vikings' season has gone from bad to worse, and tight end T.J. Hockenson now finds himself in TE3 territory as the club travels to Seattle in Week 13. The Vikings will not only be without starter J.J. McCarthy (concussion), but backup Carson Wentz (shoulder) is already out for the season, leaving the team to start undrafted rookie Max Brosmer against a strong Seattle defense that is allowing scoring drives at the second-lowest rate in the NFL. Hockenson has cracked the top 15 PPR tight ends only once this season, and now he's relying upon a complete unknown under center. Predictably, the Vikings are the biggest underdog of the weekend, so managers rostering Hockenson may want to steer clear of this entire situation, even in formats that start two tight ends.

From RotoBaller

Fantasy managers should not put much stock into tight end T.J. Hockenson when the Minnesota Vikings take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 12. The veteran has yet to reach 50 yards receiving in a game this season and is averaging just more than two catches per outing during the past month. Minnesota has struggled in back-to-back weeks with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, though Hockenson's fantasy output had diminished relative to prior years even before McCarthy returned from injury. In 10 games this season, Hockenson has finished within the top 10 fantasy tight ends only once, and managers should consider starting him only in formats that play more than one tight end.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson hasn't been a consistent fantasy option all season. While he's stayed healthy, which is a plus, he has only 31 catches for 241 yards and two touchdowns. To be fair, the Vikings offense hasn't looked the best, with J.J. McCarthy still having issues adapting to life as a quarterback in the National Football League. Hockenson likely has a few more trips to the end zone up his sleeve before the conclusion of the 2025 campaign. However, since he hasn't been the most trustworthy fantasy option, managers will be rolling the dice by featuring him in their lineups for Sunday's NFC North showdown with the Chicago Bears.

From RotoBaller

After three straight weeks of low volume, Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson should not be relied upon in standard formats when his team plays host to the Chicago Bears in Week 11. The former Iowa Hawkeye is still playing a commanding number of snaps, but has just six catches in the past three weeks and ranks as the No. 24 overall PPR tight end. Given that he has been a top-five fantasy tight end twice with Minnesota, it's fair to say Hockenson has been among the bigger fantasy disappointments of the season thus far. The Bears rank 20th against PPR tight ends, though second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy has consistently favored receiver Jalen Nailor, not Hockenson, as the team's third option behind receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Hockenson should only be considered a TE2 option in formats that play more than one tight end.

From RotoBaller

Rest-of-Season (ROS) Fantasy Football Rankings: Parker Washington Rises, Matthew Golden Falls Matt LaMarca breaks down the latest batch of updates to the Fantasy Life rest-of-season fantasy football rankings. [Read More]

From FantasyLife

Rest-of-Season (ROS) Fantasy Football Rankings: Parker Washington Rises, Matthew Golden Falls Matt LaMarca breaks down the latest batch of updates to the Fantasy Life rest-of-season fantasy football rankings. [Read More]

From FantasyLife

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson should be considered a low-end TE2 option with his team taking on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10. The veteran burned his former team, the Detroit Lions, with a touchdown catch last week, but Minnesota completed only 14 passes for 143 yards behind first-time starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, albeit in a big victory. The Ravens currently rank 10th against half-PPR tight ends, and Baltimore has held its past three opponents to an average of 13 points. In McCarthy's three starts this year, Hockenson has a total of 10 targets, and there could be more bumps in the road with what is effectively a rookie quarterback learning on the fly. Hockenson is still a distant third in the Vikings' passing game pecking order behind receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, so relying upon the tight end is a tough sell this week.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson should be viewed as a TE2 option when he takes on his former team, the Detroit Lions, in Week 9. It's been a disappointing season so far for Hockenson, who hasn't quite looked the same since an ACL tear in late 2023 and now ranks as the No. 22 fantasy tight end at the halfway point of this season. None of the Vikings played well in a Week 8 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, but Hockenson had just three targets, two catches, and 26 yards receiving. The veteran tight end and the Vikings will now turn back to second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who missed the past five games with an ankle injury. In McCarthy's two starts this year, Hockenson had just four catches for 27 yards, and both of those took place before receiver Jordan Addison returned from a suspension. With the Vikings struggling and Hockenson set to be the team's third option, at best, he should be played only in formats that start two tight ends.

From RotoBaller