It’s that time of year again where fantasy football drafts are occurring across the world. Friends and family members are trying to draft the best possible lineup in order to bring home a year’s worth of bragging rights.
PFF released their preseason rankings that had Adam Thielen finishing as the sixth best wide receiver in 2020.
91 catches for 1,190 yards would be a great year for Thielen, who is coming off a 2019 season where he played in less than ten games. When Thielen has been healthy, it’s no question he has been Kirk Cousins' go to target when the games on the line.
In 2018, Thielen finished with 113 catches for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns meaning his 2020 PFF projections are extremely realistic. On top of his stellar 2018 stats, he tied Calvin Johnson for the most consecutive games with over 100 receiving yards.
Thielen is going to have to adjust to not having Stefon Diggs alongside him, but teams will still need to focus on other areas of the Vikings offense. Dalvin Cook has been a problem for opposing teams when he’s healthy, which should open the play-action game for Cousins and his receivers.
The Vikings attempted to fill the void left behind by Diggs by drafting Justin Jefferson with the same pick they got in the exchange for the hero of the Minneapolis Miracle. Jefferson is coming off of one of the better seasons by a collegiate wide receiver and has drawn comparisons to former Colts legend Reggie Wayne.
There are still a lot of things up in the air around the 2020 season, but Thielen’s ability to be a dominant wide receiver should not be one of those things.