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: