Fantasy Football Player Notes

Somehow, Johnson failed to score a touchdown last year despite drawing 147 targets and catching 87 passes. No other receiver in NFL history has drawn more than 109 targets in a season without scoring a touchdown. Whether Johnson will reverse his TD misfortune against the 49ers this week is unclear, but Johnson has averaged 9.6 targets, 5.9 catches and 61.8 receiving yards a game over the last three years, making him a must-start in most formats. Johnson is a low-end WR2 this week against a 49ers defense that yielded the sixth-most receiving yards to WRs last year.

Yes, Thielen turned 33 last month, and his efficiency numbers have been trending in the wrong direction for years. But is it crazy to think that a rookie quarterback making his NFL debut might lean heavily on a veteran receiver known for his precise route running and red-zone prowess? The problem is that Thielen is dealing with an ankle injury that had him limited in practice this week. If he's able to go on Sunday, Thielen could be a sneaky flex play against a Falcons defense that ranked 31st in DVOA vs. the pass a year ago.

A second-round rookie with good size (6-1, 226) and speed (4.46), Mingo is an intriguing sleeper for 2023. It's encouraging that Mingo ran a route on 29 of Bryce Young's 31 preseason dropbacks. That sort of involvement bodes well for Mingo's Year 1 production. With Adam Thielen dealing with an ankle injury and D.J. Chark out, Mingo could be a flex option in deeper leagues this week as a low-end WR4.