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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jarius Wright had a fairly non-descript rookie season in 2012, catching 22 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns in seven games played (one start). A preseason ankle injury postponed his NFL debut, but when Percy Harvin was sidelined by an ankle injury of his own Wright finally got his opportunity.
Harvin has of course now been traded to the Seattle Seahawks, and Michael Jenkins was also released recently. So Wright looks likely to have a bigger role in 2013, but can he grab the attention of fantasy football owners?
Wright has similar skills to Harvin, so he is theoretically well-suited to taking over Harvin’s role as Minnesota’s primary slot receiver. Harvin had 62 receptions for 677 yards in the nine games he played last season, as he was clearly quarterback Christian Ponder’s best option in the passing game. Expecting Wright to replicate Harvin’s production is unrealistic, but he should get every chance to become a prominent part of the Vikings’ offense next season.
Minnesota’s offense clearly centers around running back Adrian Peterson, which helps limit the number of targets to go around in the passing game. But Ponder should make progress as a passer in his third NFL season with better receivers around him, and with so much defensive attention focused on Peterson there will certainly be ample opportunities for success through the air.
From a fantasy perspective, I think Wright has a chance to be a contributor in deep PPR leagues in 2013. He is too small to be a prolific red zone target (5’10”, 182 lbs.), but 50 catches for 600-700 yards with a handful of touchdowns is a reasonable projection for him as long as he remains on track for an expanded role.
Brad Berreman is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24.
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