Who Should I Start? Mecole Hardman or Justin Jefferson

Wednesday, April 22, 5:50 AM

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is coming off the worst season of his six-year career. He hit single-season yardage and touchdown lows, while his 4.9 receptions per game were approximately a catch and a half below his career average. And yet, Jefferson is still RotoBaller's dynasty WR4, largely because his 2025 struggles can be almost entirely explained away by some of the worst quarterback play in the league. Vikings quarterbacks threw for 3,176 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions in 2025, bottom-four numbers across the board. While Minnesota may not have found a long-term solution at the position, they've at least brought in a Band-Aid for 2026, signing Cardinals castoff Kyler Murray to a one-year deal at the start of free agency. While Murray has had his own struggles of late, he can stand on a proven record of supporting a true number one receiver, peppering DeAndre Hopkins with over 150 targets in their first season together, en route to a WR7 finish in 2020. Even if a clear path out of the darkness wasn't evident at the time, Jefferson was one of the smartest buy-lows of the 2025 season, and at just 26 years old, his cost to acquire may still be suppressed enough to make him a worthwhile buy before the new season starts and he reminds the league of what he's capable.