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.
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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.
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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
Free agent WR Chase Claypool revealed the severity of the toe injury he suffered in July 2024.
In a social media post, the 26-year-old receiver explains that he “tore a ligament and tendon” in his second toe on his left foot and has “been rehabbing, working out, and recovering everyday for the past year.” This explains his extended absence. Following the injury, Claypool was briefly placed on injured reserve in August 2024 before being released with an injury settlement. He is “back to being the strongest and fastest” he’s ever been and is “excited to step back out on the field.”
Free agent LB Jason Pierre-Paul hopes to sign with an NFL team, ideally the Giants, in “a full-circle moment.”
Per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, “Pierre-Paul still believes he can help a team, that he can be a veteran closer.” The 36-year-old has continued training to remain NFL-ready despite failing to find a suitor for the 2024 season. He logged 22 defensive snaps, playing for both the Saints and Dolphins in 2023. His last sack occurred as a Raven, in a Wild Card Weekend loss to the Bengals in the prior season. Sitting at 94.5 career sacks, Pierre-Paul hopes to reach 100 as a part-time player in 2025.
The CFL’s Toronto Argonauts claimed Shedeur Sanders’ negotiating rights in case Sanders one day chooses to leave the NFL for the CFL.
There is no indication that Sanders is in contact with the Argonauts and we do not expect Sanders to leave the NFL for the CFL at this time. Every year in early July, just before NFL training camps begin, the CFL allows its teams to claim NFL players’ negotiating rights, on the off chance that the player is released or waived by his team and decides to pursue a career in Canada. Per the CFL’s Marshall Ferguson, “the CFL began releasing a few names here and there periodically, but now the full list is available for all to see from each of the nine teams.” Fans can rest assured that their high-profile, fifth-round rookie remains a Cleveland Brown.
Free agent CB Stephon Gilmore wants to play football in “the right situation” this season.
The 34-year-old veteran visited the Cowboys pre-draft but left without a contract. Gilmore is no longer an above-average starter, but he did force eight incompletions and record one interception last year. A playoff contender could benefit from signing Gilmore as an experienced option, but teams tend to not have high valuations on older cornerbacks.
ESPN’s Turron Davenport reports that Titans QB Cam Ward is adjusting to the NFL’s speed and field width while learning how to adjust protection against the blitz.
Ward is learning through trial and error, as many rookies do. The young quarterback is now aware that an open receiver in the NFL looks far different than it did in college, even when targeting a linebacker’s coverage. The NFL’s condensed field spacing has also reportedly required Ward to improve his awareness against the blitz. Per Davenport, Ward successfully showcased a lightbulb moment in this regard, which occurred “during team period when Ward recognized where the pressure was coming from and checked to a different protection to block it up.” Ward also notably signaled an audible to Calvin Ridley and connected with the veteran receiver for a touchdown. These are positive steps for a quarterback who currently profiles as a QB2 in re-draft formats.
Speaking to Rich Eisen about the Steelers’ contract talks with EDGE T.J. Watt, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said the “most likely” outcome is that the two sides agree to an extension that resets the market before the season opener.
Pelissero recently reported that the Steelers do not plan to trade Watt, and Watt’s record-setting goals are well known, so the most recent report makes sense. The team will do its best to ensure team-friendly outs exist later in the deal, but for now, Watt appears to be on track for a hefty payday sometime before September 7th. Pelissero states succinctly, Watt’s expected extension “is going to be north of Myles Garrett—it is going to be upwards of $40 million per year.”