Fantasy fallout: Justin Jefferson hamstring injury update and why CeeDee Lamb is a sneaky contender for WR1

Minnesota coach Kevin O'Connell said Friday that receiver Justin Jefferson is dealing with a mild hamstring strain and will be held out of practice. Jefferson will be re-evaluated next week, but he should be fine for Week 1. That's great news for the Vikings and Fantasy managers.

Jefferson is currently the No. 2 receiver coming off the board based on the FantasyPros Average Draft Position behind Ja'Marr Chase and just ahead of CeeDee Lamb. But is that the right order?

On our Fantasy Football Today podcast Friday, we discussed the top three receivers this season. And Dan Schneier had a bold take about his wide receiver rankings.

"I'm actually toying with the idea of putting Lamb as my WR1 over Chase," Dan said. "I'm debating it."

Dan talked about the addition of George Pickens and how that "is going to help (Chase)" with potentially lighter coverage. Adam Aizer pushed back on that theory.

"I think it's going to elevate Dak Prescott," Adam said. "I don't think it's going to elevate CeeDee Lamb."

Adam brought up examples of other recent receiver additions being a negative for their teammates, including Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson last season. Dave Richard countered with Chase still being elite with Tee Higgins and the same with Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

It was a great conversation on Chase, Jefferson and Lamb about 50 minutes into the show, and I encourage you to listen (as well as everything else we discussed). I have it ranked Chase, Lamb and Jefferson, and all three of them are top five overall picks in PPR.

Here's what I wrote about all three in my Wide Receiver Tiers

On Chase ...

Chase should be the No. 1 overall pick, and he will hopefully perform close to the level he was at in 2024 when he was the Triple Crown winner with the most receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and receiving touchdowns (17). Only Jerry Rice (1990), Sterling Sharpe (1992), Steve Smith (2005) and Cooper Kupp (2021) have accomplished that since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. He's also the first receiver in NFL history to eclipse both 1,700 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns in a single season. He averaged 23.7 PPR points per game, and Chase should be elite once again with Joe Burrow.

On Lamb ...

Prescott (hamstring) is healthy, and the last time he and Lamb played a full season in 2023, Lamb averaged 23.7 PPR points per game as the No. 1 Fantasy receiver. He can definitely get back to that level of production, and I would draft Lamb as early as No. 3 overall behind only Chase and Bijan Robinson. We'll see how much the addition of Pickens impacts Lamb, but I'm not worried. Lamb still averaged 17.6 PPR points per game in 2024 while dealing with a shoulder injury, and Prescott was out for nine games. That's a solid floor and enough reason to trust Lamb again.

On Jefferson ...

Jefferson had another standout season in 2024 with 103 catches, 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns on 154 targets, and he averaged 18.7 PPR points per game. We were worried about Jefferson last season with Sam Darnold taking over at quarterback, and that didn't matter. I wouldn't worry much about J.J. McCarthy starting since Jefferson is a star and staple in O'Connell's offense. And keep in mind that Jefferson is the all-time leader in yards per game at 96.5 (Chase is second at 87.5 and Calvin Johnson is third at 86.1).

Chase will remain the No. 1 overall pick for me barring an injury, and I'm expecting another standout campaign in 2025. And the only way I would move Jefferson from WR3 is if this hamstring lingers past next week, but I'm not worried.

As for Lamb, he may have given the best quote of training camp for any player so far about his outlook for the upcoming season.

"I feel like the league knows what happens when I'm healthy and I have Dak for a whole season," Lamb said. "But if you don't, I will happily show you what it's going to be like this year. Honestly, I'm a dominant receiver. I don't like to speak highly of myself, but I can't wait to show you guys."

Maybe Dan has a point that Lamb should be the No. 1 receiver. It's a fun debate to discuss the order for Chase, Lamb and Jefferson this year.

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