Vikings' Jalen Nailor could step up to WR3 role

What It Means

It's high praise from the head coach of the team, but was given with a caveat: O'Connell also pointed out that Nailor has struggled to stay on the field since entering the league as a sixth-round pick in 2022, and challenged him to stay healthy for 2024.

The Vikings allowed veteran wideout K.J. Osborn to walk in free agency this offseason, leaving a pretty glaring hole at WR3 behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on the depth chart. With tight end T.J. Hockenson (ACL) expected to be sidelined into the season, that role could be worth paying attention to in fantasy football this year.

That said, it remains to be seen whether Minnesota will continue to operate as a pass-heavy team now that it will be leaning on Sam Darnold and rookie J.J. McCarthy at quarterback. Former quarterback Kirk Cousins led high-volume passing offenses in previous years, but with Cousins now in Atlanta the Vikings could slow things down in 2024. If Nailor is going to break out for fantasy, he'll need the team's passing volume to stay elevated.