Jalen Nailor, Brandon Powell Listed As Co-Starters In WR3 Role
Minnesota Vikings wide receivers Jalen Nailor and Brandon Powell were listed as co-starters in the No. 3 role on the team's first unofficial depth chart. The wideout spot behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison is open following the departure of K.J. Osborn, and the pair of pass-catchers are the prime candidates to fill that gap. Nailor, a sixth-round pick out of Michigan State in 2022, has tallied 12 receptions for 208 yards and one touchdown through his first 21 NFL games. Powell, an undrafted free agent in 2018, has hauled in 76 receptions for 678 yards and three touchdowns in 55 games with the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams, and Vikings. It will be interesting to see who comes out of the camp battle victorious, but neither is likely to have much fantasy value in an offense led by Sam Darnold or rookie J.J. McCarthy. However, one of the two wideouts could have deep-league value early in the season if Addison is suspended following his misdemeanor DUI charge, especially since tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) is likely to miss the start of the regular season.
Following this year's NFL draft in which the Minnesota Vikings didn't take a single receiver, Brandon Powell, Jalen Nailor and Trent Sherfield are all candidates to fill the No. 3 receiver role heading into the 2024 season. All-Pro Justin Jefferson is the team's unquestioned No. 1, with second-year man Jordan Addison settling in as the No. 2 after a strong rookie campaign in 2023. K.J. Osborn left for the New England Patriots in free agency this offseason. Tight end T.J. Hockenson is coming off a torn ACL, so Powell could see more looks early on in 2024 if he actually wins the No. 3 job in training camp this summer. The 28-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Florida set career-highs in catches (29) and receiving yards (324) with one touchdown in 17 games (two starts) in his first year in Minnesota in 2023.
The Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms to re-sign wide receiver Brandon Powell to an undisclosed one-year deal on Tuesday night, according to a source. Powell caught 29 passes for a career-high 324 yards and a key touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons on 44 targets in 17 games (two starts) in 2023 in his first year with the Vikings and fifth year in the NFL. Normally more of a punt returner, Powell was relied on more often due to injuries to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn. The 28-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Florida has bounced around with four different teams in his five NFL seasons, but he'll stay put in Minnesota in 2024 and could be the team's starting slot wideout if Osborn doesn't re-sign. Still, with quarterback Sam Darnold potentially Minnesota's starter under center in 2024, Powell will be off the fantasy radar in most leagues.
Brandon Powell Logs Three Catches, Four Targets Against Denver
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Brandon Powell caught three of his four targets for 32 yards in the team's 21-20 defeat to the Denver Broncos. Powell has been a staple in the Minnesota offense in the absence of Justin Jefferson (hamstring), behind Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn. The 28-year-old has consistently earned 3-5 targets over that stretch. Jefferson will, at most, miss one more game with his injury. If he's not activated for Week 12, he will be required to play after the Vikings' bye week, or his season will be over. Once the All-Pro returns to the lineup, Powell will return to being an afterthought for fantasy football.
K.J. Osborn, Brandon Powell Limited Again Thursday
Minnesota Vikings wide receivers K.J. Osborn (chest) and Brandon Powell (shoulder) were both limited in practice for the second straight day on Thursday. Osborn and Powell could both be facing questionable tags for the Week 9 game against the Atlanta Falcons. On top of it, the Vikings just lost quarterback Kirk Cousins for the year with a torn Achilles. Minnesota will be going with some combination of rookie Jaren Hall and the recently acquired Joshua Dobbs for the rest of the year. Osborn and Powell should continue to see elevated roles on offense until Justin Jefferson (hamstring) returns from Injured Reserve, but the QB downgrade is significant. It will make Osborn an even riskier boom/bust WR4/5 in fantasy despite coming off an eight-catch, 99-yard performance in the Week 8 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Minnesota Vikings wide receivers K.J. Osborn (chest) and Brandon Powell (shoulder) were both listed as limited in the team's walkthrough practice on Wednesday. Both Osborn and Powell should be able to play in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons, but their status is worth watching the rest of the week. Osborn and Powell have both seen their roles increase with Justin Jefferson (hamstring) on Injured Reserve. Osborn has 17 receptions for 194 yards on 21 targets in the last three games, while Powell has caught eight of his 12 targets for 94 yards and no touchdowns. Rookie Jordan Addison has done most of the heavy lifting in the aerial attack for Minnesota without Jefferson, alongside tight end T.J. Hockenson. Osborn will become an even more shaky WR4/flex option in fantasy lineups now that Kirk Cousins is done for the year with a torn Achilles, though.
The Minnesota Vikings have signed wide receiver Brandon Powell to a one-year contract. This deal makes sense considering Powell played under Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell while the two were in Los Angeles during the 2021 campaign. The 27-year-old opened up last season as a special teamer, but quickly found his way into more work. Powell saw reps as both a wide receiver and running back with the Rams last season. He finished with 24 receptions for 156 yards with an additional 80 yards on the ground. It's likely that he plays a similar role with the Vikings this upcoming season. However, there probably won't be a big enough role for Powell to hold fantasy value.
The Buffalo Bills signed free-agent kick returner/wide receiver Brandon Powell to an undisclosed one-year deal on Friday. Powell played for the Atlanta Falcons last year, returning 17 punts for 152 yards and 17 kickoffs for 343 yards in 15 games. His longest return of the year went for 29 yards. Powell also caught 12 passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns in 2020. He was on the practice squad and Atlanta's active roster in 2019. In 21 career games in the NFL, Powell has 23 catches for 198 yards and two touchdowns, so he's unlikely to contribute much on offense in Buffalo. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Florida in 2018 by the Detroit Lions.
Brandon Powell Finishes With Three Reception In Week 15
Detroit Lions wide receiver Brandon Powell caught all three of his targets for 11 yards, while also taking a carry for four yards in the 14-13 loss to the Bills on Sunday. This was the busiest game of Powell's young career, having only caught one career pass coming into the game. While his name as always popped up as a possibility to see an chances on offense, his work has strictly been related to special teams. If Bruce Ellington is forced to miss a second game next week against Minnesota, Powell could maintain a similar role but that does not make him a fantasy relevant player in this stagnant offense.
Brandon Powell Could Be Heir Apparent To Golden Tate
Detroit Lions wide receiver Brandon Powell has been pegged as Golden Tate's heir apparent after Tate was dealt to the Eagles on Tuesday. The Lions signed Powell as an undrafted free agent out of Florida in May, and he led the team in catches (16) and receiving yards (103) during the preseason. Powell was Tate's understudy out of the slot over the summer, but he's been active just once this year (Week 7). TJ Jones will also be used to help fill the void that Tate left in three-receiver sets. Jones had a career-high 30 catches for 399 yards in 2017, but he's played sparingly this year as the fourth wideout. Detroit will lean more heavily on Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones moving forward, giving them higher fantasy ceilings for the rest of the year. Powell is a speculative addition in dynasty/keeper formats.
Brandon Powell
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Vikings
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