The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the most banged-up and talked-about teams of the season — and veteran RB Aaron Jones Sr. is once again back in the conversation.
After missing the last four games with a hamstring injury, Jones is trending toward returning tonight against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football.
Jones was officially listed as questionable by the Vikings on Wednesday, but the team plans to activate him from injured reserve before kickoff.
That alone has fantasy managers and DFS players watching closely. Minnesota’s run game has lacked punch in his absence, and even with Jordan Mason filling in admirably, there’s no denying Jones’ impact when healthy. And he currently has stat projections live on the PrizePicks NFL board for TNF.
Below, we’ll break down what to watch for from Aaron Jones in his potential return, and how the backfield might shake out in Week 8 on Thursday Night Football tonight.
Is Aaron Jones Playing Tonight?
Vikings RB Aaron Jones is expected to play tonight, according to several reports leading up to Thursday Night Football. He may be limited in his first game back from a four-game absence.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has been non-committal about naming a clear RB1, but mentioned the staff will “be smart” with Jones in his return.
The question mark surrounding Jones' role may be a reason to leave him off your fantasy football starting Lineup this week. On PrizePicks' real money NFL game, Jones is projected for just 6.5 carries and 24.5 rush yards tonight, while Mason is projected for 12.5 carries and 52.5 yards.
Before the injury, Jones logged 13 carries for 46 yards and caught 3 passes for 44 yards and a TD, flashing his trademark burst on limited touches. Even so, the team has made it clear they’ll be cautious with his workload as he ramps back up. He may likely be on a snap count or timeshare out of the gate.
Jordan Mason, who’s handled 63.5% of the team’s offensive snaps and 59.1% of the rushing attempts (per PFF) this season, isn’t going away either.
The Vikings have liked Mason's downhill style and red-zone reliability, so this may become a true 1A/1B situation — at least for now.
Speaking of red-zone share, in the one game they played together this year, Mason took all 3 red-zone carries, with Jones getting 0.
The Chargers enter TNF allowing 5.1 yards per carry (5th-most in the NFL) and rank 29th in defensive EPA per rush (0.08), per Sumer Sports.
Updated Vikings RB Depth Chart for Week 8 vs. Chargers
RB1: Aaron Jones (hamstring – expected to play)
RB2: Jordan Mason
RB3: Zavier Scott (wrist – questionable)
While Jones hasn’t officially been named the starter, insiders believe he’ll open the game in a limited role, perhaps splitting drives with Mason. Minnesota’s primary goal is to have him fully integrated by Week 9.
Aaron Jones Stat Projections vs. Chargers on TNF
Here are all of Aaron Jones’ fantasy football projections for Thursday Night Football, via PrizePicks NFL board. You can pick More or Less on these stat projections on PrizePicks to win real money if your picks are right tonight and every NFL game.
PrizePicks projections imply a two-thirds split in favor of Jones, though it's unclear exactly how the split will play out.
- 6.5 Rush Attempts
- 24.5 Rush Yards
- 2 Receptions
- 13.5 Receiving Yards
- 6.5 Fantasy Score
- 9.5 Yards Longest Catch
- 8.5 Yards Longest Rush
- 39.5 Rush+Rec Yds
Jordan Mason Stat Projections vs. Chargers on TNF
And for comparison, here are Jordan Mason's stat projections vs. the Chargers on PrizePicks.
- 52.5 Rush Yards
- 12.5 Rush Attempts
- 0.5 Receptions (Goblin)
- 7.5 Receiving Yards
- 10 Fantasy Score
- 6.5 Yards Longest Reception
- 13.5 Yards Longest Rush
- 66.5 Rush+Rec Yds
Aaron Jones vs. Jordan Mason: Start or Sit?
If active, Jones immediately slides back into flex or low-end RB2 territory, but expectations should be tempered in his first game back. If you have other options with sure workloads, it may be best to go that direction.
Minnesota’s coaching staff won’t overload him on short rest, especially after a month on IR.
That said, his role in the passing game — and potential red-zone work — keeps him playable. Mason remains a safe enough fantasy starter until we see a full game out of Jones again, but his upside may be capped in a timeshare.
Mason should be who you start if you have both on your fantasy roster.
For now, it may be wise to consider this a fairly split backfield if all goes smoothly tonight.
Ready to make your Thursday Night Football picks for Vikings vs. Chargers? Whether you're riding with Aaron Jones or Chargers QB Justin Herbert, you can cash in on your predictions if you're right on PrizePicks.
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