The Minnesota Vikings will have a different quarterback leading their offense against the Chicago Bears in Week 2, as Kyler Murray has officially been ruled out as he remains in the concussion protocol. So, this leaves Carson Wentz to make the start at Soldier Field, with J.J. McCarthy serving as his backup, and Wentz previously demonstrated his ability to keep Kevin O'Connell's offense moving when Murray exited the season opener, completing 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns in Minnesota's 39-22 comeback victory over Green Bay.

Murray is not the only notable player missing, because wide receiver Jauan Jennings will also be absent on Sunday due to personal reasons, and right tackle Brian O'Neill is also listed as questionable on Minnesota's final injury report. The Vikings are receiving overall positive news regarding several players who were listed on the report earlier in the week, but the combination of Murray's concussion, Jennings' absence, and Jordan Mason's move to injured reserve presents several important implications for fantasy football.

Vikings' injury report for Week 2

QB Kyler Murray — Concussion — Out
WR Jauan Jennings — Personal — Out
OT Brian O’Neill — Knee — Questionable
LB Blake Cashman — Wrist — No designation
OLB Andrew Van Ginkel — Chest — No designation
OT Christian Darrisaw — Rest — No designation
S Harrison Smith — Rest — No designation

Murray practiced on a limited basis throughout the week, but Minnesota did not clear him for game action, and as a result, O'Connell ultimately confirmed that Wentz would be the starting quarterback. O'Neill had a more inconsistent week, starting as a limited participant on Wednesday, sitting out Thursday, and returning in a limited capacity on Friday. Cashman progressed from limited participation to full participation, while Van Ginkel was also a full participant on Friday after being limited earlier in the week, leaving both players without a final game designation.

Jennings did not practice at all during the week due to a personal matter and has been ruled out, which removes one of Minnesota's top three receivers from the lineup. In contrast, the Bears enter the matchup without any players carrying an injury designation, as everyone on their report progressed to full participation on Friday, including D'Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai, and Darnell Wright.

There is another significant fantasy absence that does not appear on the weekly injury report, as the transaction occurred earlier in the week. Mason underwent surgery for a fractured right thumb and has been placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least four games. He had led Minnesota with 59 rushing yards and scored a touchdown in Week 1.

Fantasy impact of Vikings' Week 2 injury report

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (1) warms up before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The most notable change in the fantasy landscape is at quarterback, but Kyler Murray's absence shouldn't automatically cause fantasy managers to downgrade every player in Minnesota’s offense. Carson Wentz stepped in against Green Bay and was highly effective, throwing three touchdown passes without any interceptions and achieving a passer rating of 123.5. Justin Jefferson was the primary beneficiary of Wentz's performance, recording eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, while T.J. Hockenson contributed with four receptions for 36 yards and another score. 

This performance makes Jefferson an obvious start against Chicago, regardless of the quarterback change. In fact, the evidence from Week 1 suggests that Wentz is comfortable targeting Minnesota’s best receiver rather than spreading the ball around unnecessarily. Jefferson played 60 of Minnesota’s 65 offensive snaps against Green Bay, indicating that the Vikings consistently turned to him once Wentz found his rhythm.

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While fantasy managers shouldn't expect Jefferson to have another two-touchdown game every week, the change in quarterback does not undermine his status as an elite WR1. Additionally, Chicago’s defense struggled against the pass in its opener, further supporting the idea of trusting Jefferson’s volume rather than worrying about Cousins being unavailable. FantasyPros continues to endorse Jefferson as a must-start option for Week 2.

Hockenson also benefits significantly from what occurred in Week 1, as he played 43 snaps and quickly became a reliable option in the middle of the field for Wentz, finishing second on the team in receiving yards and scoring one of Minnesota’s three passing touchdowns. With Jalen Reagor unavailable, there are even fewer established targets competing for underneath looks, so Hockenson should be included in starting fantasy lineups at tight end, particularly in formats where consistent target volume matters more than explosive plays.

Jordan Addison is a bit more challenging to assess. He played 54 snaps in the opener but did not record a catch, so it would be overly optimistic to assume Jennings’ absence will lead to a significant fantasy breakout, but there is an opportunity for additional involvement, given that Jennings played 31 offensive snaps against Green Bay, which are now vacant. Addison should remain on the field consistently, but after failing to produce statistically in Week 1, he is better viewed as a volatile flex option rather than a guaranteed starter until the Vikings demonstrate that Wentz will target players beyond Jefferson and Hockenson more frequently.

The backfield could be the biggest development in fantasy football this week, especially for Jordan Mason rather than Murray. In Week 1, Minnesota divided the workload fairly evenly, with Mason carrying the ball 15 times for 59 yards and a touchdown, while Aaron Jones also scored a touchdown. However, with Mason now on injured reserve after thumb surgery, Jones has a clearer path to take on most of the backfield touches. Meanwhile, Demond Claiborne and DeeJay Dallas are expected to handle the remaining workload.

This raises Jones’ potential against Chicago because in Week 1, DeeJay Dallas played only six offensive snaps, and Minnesota has since added Jerome Ford following Mason’s injury, but neither player is expected to take on Mason’s previous workload directly. Jones has the clearest path to 15 or more touches and should be viewed as a strong RB2 with upside, especially if Minnesota continues to utilize him around the goal line. FantasyPros also identifies him as one of the top starting options for Week 2 due to his expanded role.

O’Neill’s status is important to monitor because losing the starting right tackle would impact both Wentz and the running game, especially on the road. He played all 65 offensive snaps against Green Bay, so if he is absent, Minnesota will need to adjust an offensive line that already struggled to protect its quarterbacks in Week 1.

For fantasy managers considering Wentz, the matchup makes him an interesting streaming option, rather than a quarterback to start in every lineup, as his three-touchdown performance in relief was impressive for fantasy purposes, but he only threw for 133 passing yards, indicating that his production relied heavily on those touchdowns, which can be hard to replicate. FantasyPros currently ranks him in the QB2 range, which is appropriate for one-quarterback leagues, while making him much more appealing in superflex formats.

Minnesota’s injury report presents more opportunity than concern for its key fantasy players, because while Murray is out, Wentz has already demonstrated that he can support Jefferson and Hockenson, and Mason’s absence greatly increases Jones’ projected workload. Additionally, Jennings’ unavailability opens up more snaps for the remaining receivers, although Addison still needs to produce reliably before fantasy managers can count on him weekly.