Underdog Fantasy NFL Picks Week 2: T.J. Hockenson & Dallas Goedert Picks for TNF Vikings vs Eagles
NFL Week 2 kicks off tonight with the Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles matchup on Thursday Night Football. Before the game gets underway, let's dive into top NFL Underdog Fantasy picks for this Vikings vs Eagles TNF showdown. Our top NFL picks today feature a pair of tight ends with T.J. Hockenson and Dallas Goedert in action. Enjoy these NFL Underdog top plays and Thursday Night Football picks as you watch tonight's game. If you're making more NFL picks tonight or setting NFL DFS lineups, check out our NFL daily projections. Now, let's dive into the top NFL Week 2 picks on Underdog Fantasy for Thursday night's Vikings vs Eagles matchup.
If you haven't joined Underdog Fantasy yet, sign up now by clicking here or scanning the QR code below for an awesome offer. New users can get a 100% deposit match up to $100 with promo code “Alarm” at sign-up.
NFL Underdog Fantasy Top Picks
Week 2 Thursday Night Football Vikings vs Eagles
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings – HIGHER Than 5.0 Receptions
In Week 1, T.J. Hockenson was heavily involved right away in the Minnesota Vikings passing attack. Of course, Justin Jefferson led the way with his 12 targets, nine receptions, and 150 yards. Hockenson, though, saw the second-most targets at nine and caught eight of them. The downside was that he only totaled 35 receiving yards with those eight receptions. Still, it’s a good sign that Kirk Cousins is looking Hock’s way this often already. The Vikings offense is trying to replace the lost production of Adam Thielen and Hockenson is a prime candidate to step into more targets. Rookie wideout Jordan Addison will be used plenty too, but Hockenson should be the guy for short, quick completions.
That was the case last week and we can expect something similar on Thursday night on the road against a talented Philadelphia Eagles defense. The Eagles boast a strong defensive line and cover corners, but they are notably weaker at the linebacker and safety positions. The depth and talent in the linebacking corps get even worse now that Nakobe Dean is on IR and will miss this game. Philly’s defense had trouble covering the New England Patriots tight ends last week with Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki combining for eight receptions, 92 yards, and a TD on nine targets.
Last year against the Eagles, while with the Detroit Lions, Hockenson had seven receptions for 38 yards. When the Vikings played the Eagles last season, tight ends Irv Smith and Johnny Mundt combined for seven catches on 11 targets. Hockenson could easily go for 6+ receptions in this matchup with Cousins looking his way a lot, especially if Minnesota is trailing and throwing more. After Hock was traded to Minnesota midway through last season, he had 6+ catches in six of 11 games with the Vikings offense – and that was with Thielen around.
Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles – HIGHER Than 46.5 Receiving Yards
If you have Dallas Goedert on your fantasy football team or are a Philadelphia Eagles fan, then you’re fully aware the tight end was held catchless in Week 1. Not ideal! Despite the goose egg, let’s bank on a Goedert bounce-back effort on Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings. When healthy last season, Goedert had at least 45 receiving yards in nine of 12 regular season games and in 11 of 14 games overall (including the postseason). He averaged 58.5 receiving yards per game in the regular season as the Eagles’ No. 3 passing target behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. That role hasn’t changed for 2023 and we should consider the Week 1 dud an anomaly.
Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson acknowledged this week that Goedert needs to be more involved moving forward as he tries “to find ways to get him the ball.” Hopefully, that sentiment will come to fruition on Thursday night. It’s the old “squeaky wheel gets the grease” analogy. A similar thing happened last season when DeVonta Smith was held catchless in the Eagles’ season opener. In the next game (against Minnesota, coincidentally) – Smith had seven catches for 80 yards. Let’s bank on Goedert being a focal point of the Philly offensive game plan this time around.
Sign Up for Underdog Fantasy Today and Get $100 Deposit Match
If you haven't joined Underdog Fantasy yet, sign up now by clicking here or scanning the QR code below for an awesome offer. New users can get a 100% deposit match up to $100 with promo code “Alarm” at sign-up. Get in on the fun today before the Bills vs Jets matchup. Head on over to www.fantasyalarm.com/underdog and use code “Alarm" to take advantage of this $100 deposit match for new users.
Other NFL Links:
- NFL Week 2 Thursday Night Football Showdown Playbook: Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles DFS Picks
- NFL DFS Player Projections
- Fantasy Football Weekly Matchups
- Fantasy Football Weekly Rankings
Player News
Jaguars signed TE Quintin Morris, formerly of the Bills, to a one-year contract.
Morris is purely a blocking tight end. He caught just 15 passes during his three years with the Bills, though he did manage to find the end zone three times. Morris will back up Brenton Strange in Jacksonville.
Ravens signed Derrick Henry to a two-year, $30 million contract extension.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Henry is the first running back over the age of 30 to make $15 million per year. Henry hit the open market at the peak of the “running backs don’t matter” discourse and signed a measly two-year, $16 million deal with the Ravens last offseason. He spent the 2025 season stuffing nerds in lockers with 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns on 325 attempts. The monstrous season more than earned him a raise and the Ravens knew the assignment. Rapoport noted that Henry wants to finish his career in Baltimore and the extension will give him the opportunity to do so.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports Packers C Elgton Jenkins is skipping offseason workouts for contract reasons.
Jenkins is being moved to center ahead of the 2025 season. He is a left guard by trade but has also spent time at both tackle spots during his six years in Green Bay. The Packers signed him to a four-year, $68 million extension in 2022 that runs through 2026. The deal initially made him a highly-paid guard. It now has him as one of the league’s most expensive centers. The Packers could save $20 million by cutting Jenkins next offseason, something they would likely do unless Jenkins is immediately one of the league’s best centers. Jenkins, in turn, is almost certainly looking to up his guarantees on the final two years of the contract. Though, as Demovsky points out, the Packers rarely adjust contracts this far from their expiration, Jenkins could be the exception to the rule.
Dak Prescott said George Pickens is “more than a 50-50 catcher.”
Prescott in a Wednesday morning radio interview was effusive in his praise of Pickens, who was traded last week from the Steelers to Dallas in exchange for draft compensation. “You put the ball anywhere in his vicinity, very strong hands,” Prescott said of Pickens. “He’s more than a 50-50 catcher. ... I’m excited for him. I know that we need some help at that position.” Pickens, 24, has 2,841 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns over three NFL seasons and is widely expected to see more single coverage in Dallas than he did as the unquestioned No. 1 wideout in Pittsburgh. Opposing coverage units won’t be able to shade safeties toward his side of the field with CeeDee Lamb threatening the middle of the field. Pickens shapes up as a volatile WR2/3 in 2025.
The Lions will play the Vikings on Christmas Day.
The Week 17 matchup between longtime NFC North rivals will be available exclusively on Netflix. Coming off a devastating Divisional Round loss to Washington last January, the Lions will be prominently featured by the league in 2025. Jared Goff and the Lions beat Minnesota twice during the 2024 regular season: A 31-29 Week 7 victory in Minnesota and a 31-9 Week 18 drubbing in Detroit. Goff combined to throw for 511 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in those games. Justin Jefferson, meanwhile, was limited to ten catches for 131 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings’ 2024 games against Detroit.
The Eagles will face the Chiefs in Week 2.
The NFL’s trickle of 2025 schedule news includes a Super Bowl rematch in Kansas City, where Patrick Mahomes and company will look for a little revenge after getting bulldozed by the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, 40-22. Philadelphia’s elite defense held Mahomes to a mere 226 yards on 32 pass attempts, with much of that production coming in fourth quarter garbage time. Jalen Hurts threw of two scores and ran in another as Saquon Barkley was held in check to the tune of 57 scoreless yards on 23 carries. If the Chiefs are to get back at the Eagles in Week 2, they’ll have to do a far better job of protecting Mahomes.