The Vikings didn’t utilize three-receiver sets all that often last season, partly because they didn’t have to with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen dominating the target share. That could change this season, however, with Gary Kubiak stepping in as the offensive coordinator and Minnesota lacking Diggs on offense.
The guy who could benefit most from a shift toward more 11 personnel is Olabisi Johnson. He’s currently listed as the No. 2 receiver on the Vikings’ depth chart and should see increased playing time opposite Thielen.
Rookie Justin Jefferson will obviously factor into the mix, but right out of the gate, Johnson is the daily fantasy player to target from the Vikings.
Dalvin Cook and Thielen are obviously bigger parts of the offense, but Johnson is a value at only $4,100 on DraftKings. That’s much cheaper than Thielen ($6,700) and even below Jefferson ($4,800) despite the fact that Johnson could get more playing time and see more targets than the rookie.
Last season, he caught 31 of the 45 passes thrown his way, turning them into 294 yards and three touchdowns. His opportunities were limited in the last five games of the year, though, only being targeted 11 times total.
The Packers secondary is headlined by Jaire Alexander, which likely leaves either Kevin King or Josh Jackson likely to cover Johnson. That’s a favorable matchup, and should yield targets from Kirk Cousins.
Johnson may not have put up big numbers last season, but he’s a good value in Week 1.
