Stefon Diggs, Kyle Rudolph, Vikings Fantasy Outlook After Adam Thielen's Injury

The Minnesota Vikings' receiving corps will take on a different look in Week 8 with wide receiver Adam Thielen ruled out for Thursday night's game against the Washington Redskins.

Thielen suffered a hamstring injury in last week's 42-30 victory over the Detroit Lions. An official timetable for his return hasn't been provided, but the wideout previously said he was hopeful to play Thursday, so it doesn't sound like a long-term stint on the sideline will be needed.

Let's analyze how the Pro Bowler's absence is going to impact the Vikes' other aerial threats in the world of fantasy football for at least one week.

Stefon Diggs

Diggs' early-season frustrations could soon be forgotten as a stint on the sideline by Thielen would leave him as the team's unquestioned top target once again. And that would move him toward the No. 1 receiver fringe in fantasy thanks to his big-play ability.

Fantasy owners who expected to receive production closer to the 102 catches for 1,021 yards and nine touchdowns the University of Maryland product posted last year should get it, at least in the short term.

The biggest question about the Vikings receiver's fantasy value coming into the year surrounded whether there would be enough targets to go around in an offense with a high-end running back in Dalvin Cook. Those concerns proved warranted in the season's early weeks.

So, while Diggs should see an uptick in fantasy value any time Thielen is sidelined, his floor will be much lower whenever his fellow star wideout is back on the field.

Bisi Johnson

Johnson has shown a lot of promising signs since the Vikings selected him in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL draft. He's never going to get a high-volume role within the current structure of the offense because of the numerous targets, but he's emerging as a nice complementary weapon.

Alas, that's not going to translate into consistent fantasy value this year, even without Thielen. He could hold some flex appeal against weaker secondaries in the interim, but that's really the limit on his value unless Diggs were also to miss time, which would suddenly make him the team's No. 1 wideout.

He's only worth rostering in the deepest of leagues at this point. He'll be a boom-or-bust flex play against a middling Washington pass defense.

Kyle Rudolph

Rudolph had 20 touchdowns in a three-year span from 2015 through 2017. That's caused his lack of trips to the end zone quite a disappointment over the past two seasons, and he's slid from a must-start option at a weak position to a fringe starter.

Thielen not being on the field could spark a resurgence, though. The veteran tight end should be the Vikings' top red-zone target and should also see additional looks on third down.

All told, the lack of consistently productive tight ends makes even a moderate increase in scoring notable, and that should be the case with Rudolph. He should put up starter-level numbers for the duration of Thielen's stint out of the lineup.