T.J.Hockenson

News: 2 days agoHockenson played five snaps on offense and didn't show up in the box score otherwise during the Vikings' 13-10 preseason win over the Giants on Saturday.

Spin: Hockenson saw the least amount of offensive snaps among Vikings tight ends Saturday, with Bryson Nesbit (25) leading the position group in that category. Hockenson is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he logged 51 catches (on 66 targets) for 438 yards and three touchdowns across 15 regular-season games. He hasn't been the same player since his career year in 2023, which ended in late December by a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee. The Vikings added wide receiver Jauan Jennings in the offseason to be the WR3 behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and while that may reduce Hockenson's target share, he's still the top tight end on the depth chart, with Josh Oliver and Ben Yurosek operating in complementary roles.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: It's been a rough go for Hockenson since he peaked with a 95-960-5 receiving line in 2023. He tore an ACL in Week 16 that season and was limited to a 41-455-0 receiving line upon his return in 10 games in 2024. A bounce-back was expected in 2025, but Hockenson handled a weak 16% target share (his lowest since he was a rookie in 2019) and couldn't overcome the team's QB woes en route to a 51-438-3 showing. Hockenson has now followed four straight top-seven fantasy PPG seasons with finishes of 17th and 26th. The 29-year-old could very well get back on track in 2026, but he'll need solid play from either Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy. Hockenson is a fringe TE1.