Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs worked as the fourth wide receiver in practice on Thursday, according to ESPN 1500's Andrew Krammer.
Stefon Diggs may revert to reduced role in offense, per report, becomes risky fantasy play
The Vikings have gotten big games from their fifth-round rookie, but Stefon Diggs may not get the expanded role many expected. We break down the fantasy implications.
Diggs worked with the starters early in the week in wake of a seven-catch, 129-yard outing against the Kansas City Chiefs, a game Charles Johnson was held out of with a rib injury. However, with Johnson's return impending, Diggs' role could still be reduced despite giving the Vikings' offense a playmaking element it has not had prior to his entry into the lineup.
Via ESPN 1500:
“Diggs has been impressive since he got here,” [offensive coordinator Norv] Turner said. “I’m going to slow that down, he’s got a lot of work to do. We went in and played a man [coverage] team and put in a couple routes they’d never seen us run and he did a good job running them. I think he caught four balls in the first quarter. He’s going to be a real good player. He just has a lot of work to do. ”
Fantasy impact: It's difficult to see why Turner would favor Jarius Wright and Charles Johnson, who have flashed little this season, as opposed to a productive player like Diggs. It's possible this could be attributed to a motivational tactic or ambiguous "coach-speak," but the result is that fantasy owners would have to see Diggs in a prominent role with Johnson in the lineup before trusting him in fantasy leagues.
If Diggs only lines up in three or four-wide sets on Sunday, it dashes his fantasy value significantly, making him a dart-throw flex option at best.
