Should You Bench Justin Jefferson in Fantasy? Latest Analysis After 2 Catches in Loss

Justin Jefferson's rough fantasy season continued on Sunday.

The superstar wideout caught just two passes for four yards in the Minnesota Vikings 26-0 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. And it was another performance that surely has a number of fantasy players asking themselves a previously unthinkable question—should they be benching Jefferson?

It's worth considering. He's now gone four straight games without a touchdown, six straight games without a 100-yard performance and seven straight games without reaching double-digit receptions. He only has two touchdowns on the season and only two games with over 100 receiving yards.

Over his last four games, he's averaging 7.5 fantasy points per contest in PPR leagues. That's not even flex production.

Context is important, of course. The Vikings have been beat up at quarterback all season, cycling through JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer. There's an argument to be made that Wentz was the best of the trio, and he's done for the season.

Brosmer made his first NFL start on Sunday, meanwhile, and it went about as poorly as it possible, as he threw four interceptions. If McCarthy is unavailable for another week, you seriously have to consider keeping Jefferson on your bench, even against a mediocre Washington Commanders secondary.

But the McCarthy-Jefferson pairing hasn't exactly taken off either. In the six games the duo has played together Jefferson is averaging 11.7 fantasy points per contest in PPR formats. That isn't terrible production, but it's hardly what you paid for if you drafted him in the first round.

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Benching him is also an enormous risk. Jefferson is so talented he could easily break free, leaving you to agonize over the 25 points you left on the bench. If McCarthy plays, you probably have to start Jefferson next week given the matchup.

If McCarthy is out, however, benching Jefferson is extremely justifiable, barring some seriously sparse flex options. It's a wild thing to say, but that's where we are at this point.