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Adam Thielen Injury Update Suggests Potential Week 8 Fantasy Football Value Against Washington

By Jason Schandl

Minnesota Vikings v Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings v Detroit Lions / Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
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Adam Thielen did all of his damage in the first quarter of the Minnesota Vikings' Week 7 contest with the Detroit Lions, catching a 25-yard touchdown pass before a hamstring injury forced him out for the remainder of the game.

With a short week leading up to Thursday's matchup with the Washington Redskins, an injury of that sort of typically a major concern. However, recent reports from Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer are that Thielen has a chance to play.

If Thielen does suit up, he's going to be a strong fantasy play in this matchup. Until that injury-shortened game, he was averaging 15.2 PPR fantasy points per game, and Washington has allowed the 10th most fantasy points per contest to opposing wideouts.

Thielen's floor would be low though, as the Vikes are likely to go run-heavy as 16-points favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, and a hamstring injury on a short week carries some re-injury risk as well.

Olabisi Johnson Fantasy Value

But, if he sits, Olabisi Johnson should carry some value in Thielen's place. Johnson stepped up and played 71 percent of Minnesota's offensive snaps in Week 7, turning in four receptions for 40 yards and a TD on eight targets.

With this game taking place on Thursday night, fantasy owners will have plenty of flexibility in how they approach it. If Thielen plays, you'll likely want him in your starting lineup. And, if he doesn't, there is plenty of time to replace him.

The other big winner is Stefon Diggs. Accounting for Thielen missing this game, Diggs sits at WR5 in our Week 8 PPR fantasy football rankings.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.