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Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson's presence is sorely missed by fantasy managers and SKOL country alike. He has top-5 finishes in PPR fantasy points despite picking up a season-ending injury in Week 16 of 2023 and also missing the last two games. Hockenson is a beast.
He's one of the best receiving tight ends in the league and is a difference-maker both on the field and in the stat sheets. He's ranked as a top-5 tight end by Pro Football Focus and was the second-most-targeted tight end in all of football last season. He's a priority to get the ball to every game.
Unfortunately, he tore his ACL late in 2023, and it took a long time to recover from that injury. Will Hock play in Week 5? Let's dive in.
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Is T.J. Hockenson Playing in Week 5?
T.J.'s practice window will open on Friday, as announced by Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell. Hock will travel with the team to London to face the New York Jets on Sunday, and he's not expected to play in the game. It would be odd to put him on a plane, fly him across the pond, and have his first practice two days before his return to play.
The #Vikings will activate TE T.J. Hockenson form the PUP list this week with his first practice scheduled for Friday in London. He spoke on the recovery process after tearing his ACL and how he's hoping to bring a vibe to this explosive offense. (1/2)@FOX9 @Fox9Sports #Skol pic.twitter.com/Qa7gL3EU39
— Ahmad Hicks (@AhmadHicksTV) October 2, 2024
The former Detroit Lion will benefit from a bye week soon after, then will have a chance to make his return against his former team. The Vikings have their off-week in Week 6, then face the Motor City men in Week 7. A revenge game would be an interesting season debut for Hock, and surely he'd be majorly motivated.
T.J. Hockenson Week 5 Fantasy Football Outlook
Fantasy managers can expect him to not play. It would be an aberration and probably a big error in judgment by Minnesota's coaching staff. The Vikings are a well-run organization and tend to not make shockingly bad decisions with injured players, thankfully. Hock will benefit from the extra rest.
It's questionable whether he'll play in Week 7 as well. He hurt his knee in Week 15 of last year, and usually injury recovery times for ACL tears are closer to 11 months before a return to play happens. There was news that he was progressing faster than expected, and he certainly had the right mindset.
T.J. Hockenson on his rehab process:
“I’ve been pushing to get out there as fast as I can. I told them at the beginning, I’m kind of a workhorse. I’m gonna do everything times two that you tell me to do. You’re gonna have to put the reins on me and hold me back.” pic.twitter.com/kLN3As1ZKA
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) October 2, 2024
Fantasy managers should expect to wait at least a few weeks longer. It's always better to prepare for worse situations than happen while hoping for the best.
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