Aaron Jones Sr. Fantasy Stats

Skor North's Darren Wolfson sees Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) "fighting through" his knee soreness to play on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and believes that Jones will have a "limited role" compared to the Week 2 win over the division-rival Chicago Bears. The 31-year-old veteran had 23 carries for 105 yards in the 9-3 victory, but he was not targeted in the passing game. "I'm not expecting even 15 touches if he's able to go on Sunday, to me, it's a very limited role. I'm looking at Jerome Ford. More than DeeJay Dallas, more than Demond Claiborne," Wolfson said. Jordan Mason (thumb) is on Injured Reserve and will miss three more games, so Minnesota's backfield depth will be tested early on. With Jones potentially limited on Sunday, Wolfson speculates that Jerome Ford may play more than rookie Demond Claiborne and DeeJay Dallas. Even though Mason is missing another game, Jones is shaping up as a very shaky RB2 for fantasy managers this weekend. Do not expect another 20-plus-carry game.

A once-murky Minnesota Vikings backfield was as clear as could be last week, giving running back Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) RB2 potential now that he carries no injury designation into Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The veteran was terrific in the Vikings' win in Chicago last week, carrying the ball 23 times and surpassing 100 yards rushing, though he briefly departed the game with the knee injury that caused him to miss practice time this week. Tampa's defense has struggled through two weeks --they rank in the bottom five in missed tackles and have allowed opponents to score on more than half of their possessions -- and Minnesota expects the return of starting quarterback Kyler Murray (concussion), which should take pressure off the Vikings' rushing attack. The conditions are favorable for Jones, who is ranked as RotoBaller's No. 20 running back this week. He brings starting potential to most formats.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that veteran running back Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) will be active on Sunday in Week 3 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. Jones came away with a knee issue after the Week 2 win over the division-rival Chicago Bears, but he was able to do enough in practice this week to be cleared. The 31-year-old saw a hefty 23 carries for 105 yards last Sunday after the Vikings placed backfield mate Jordan Mason (thumb) on Injured Reserve. With Mason out for at least another three games, Jones is in line for more of the lion's share of backfield touches, but can his body handle the workload increase? It is something the Vikings are a bit concerned about, so expect rookie Demond Claiborne and DeeJay Dallas to see as much complementary work as they can handle this weekend in Tampa. Fantasy managers should consider Jones a volume-based, low-end RB2 option as the Vikings look to start the 2026 season with a 3-0 record. Jones should have a slightly higher ceiling this week for fantasy managers with quarterback Kyler Murray returning from the concussion he suffered in Week 1.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) is practicing again on Friday, which is a good sign for his availability on Sunday in Tampa against the Buccaneers in Week 3, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. Jones came out of the Week 2 win over the division-rival Chicago Bears with a knee injury, but he appears to be trending towards playing this weekend. The 31-year-old veteran only has 12 carries for 40 yards in the season-opening win over the division-rival Green Bay Packers, but he did score on the ground. With Jordan Mason (thumb) on Injured Reserve, Jones had a hefty workload this past Sunday, carrying the ball 23 times for 105 yards. He was not targeted in the passing game. A heavy workload like that might not be sustainable for Jones, though, and rookie Demond Claiborne, DeeJay Dallas, and Jaret Patterson will provide depth behind him until Mason is eligible to return. At best, Jones should be considered a low-end RB2/high-end RB3/flex in Week 3 if he is active.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) was seen back at practice for the portion open to the media on Thursday, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. Jones had a much bigger workload in the Week 2 win over the division-rival Chicago Bears on Sunday with Jordan Mason (thumb) on Injured Reserve, carrying the ball 23 times for 105 yards. However, Jones is dealing with an injury issue of his own heading into a Week 3 matchup on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Vikings have hinted that they do not want to overwork the 31-year-old veteran either, which is why they signed Jaret Patterson this week to give them more help alongside rookie Demond Claiborne and DeeJay Dallas. Jones is not a lock to be active this weekend, but he is on the right track to play after returning to practice on Thursday. Right now, Jones should be considered a volume-based RB2/3 in fantasy lineups if he is cleared to face the Bucs. UPDATE: Jones was officially limited on Thursday.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) did not practice Wednesday, and his availability for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay is up in the air. Kevin Seifert of ESPN reported that Jones is "not a sure thing" to play after he worked through the injury during last week's win over Chicago. He still finished that game with 23 carries for 105 yards. Minnesota is already without Jordan Mason, who landed on injured reserve after undergoing surgery on a fractured thumb. Asked what the backfield would look like without both Jones and Mason, head coach Kevin O'Connell first mentioned DeeJay Dallas and rookie Demond Claiborne. Dallas has two carries for eight yards this season. Claiborne has yet to record an NFL rushing attempt but caught one pass for two yards against Chicago. If Jones can't go, there isn't an obvious one-for-one replacement in this backfield.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) will not practice on Wednesday, head coach Kevin O'Connell told Kevin Seifert of ESPN. The Vikings placed Jordan Mason (thumb) on Injured Reserve last week, so their backfield is extremely thin heading into a Week 3 matchup on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jones was the leader of the Vikings' backfield in the Week 2 win over the division-rival Chicago Bears by a mile, handling 23 carries for 105 yards. However, Jones is now banged up, and the Vikings want to take some of the load off his shoulders while Mason is out. The Vikings signed Jaret Patterson for more backfield depth on Tuesday behind rookie Demond Claiborne and DeeJay Dallas. If Jones is unable to play this weekend because of his knee injury, the Vikings would likely split their backfield with Dallas and Claiborne on Sunday. At best, Jones is shaping up as a low-end RB2 this weekend against Tampa, and we will have to see what the rest of the week holds as far as his practice participation.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that running back Aaron Jones Sr. was "pretty sore" after the team's Week 2 win over the division-rival Chicago Bears on Sunday. Backup Jordan Mason (thumb) is on Injured Reserve for another three weeks, and rookie sixth-rounder Demond Claiborne "is not ready to carry the load," according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. In addition to Jones and Claiborne, the Vikings have veteran DeeJay Dallas on their 53-man roster, and Jerome Ford is on their practice squad. "[Jones] is a guy that clearly we have a lot of confidence in," O'Connell said, "but we want to be smart about it as well." The 31-year-old Jones handled 23 carries for 105 yards in Sunday's 9-3 victory over Chicago, but it sounds as though the Vikings would like to get some other backs involved to take some of the load off of Jones' shoulders going forward. Sunday's production from Jones with Mason on IR might be the ceiling of what fantasy managers can expect from him.

The Minnesota Vikings rode running back Aaron Jones Sr. for 23 carries and 105 yards on Sunday in Chicago, doing just enough in a 9-3 victory in which neither side scored a touchdown. Jones was the centerpiece of the Minnesota offense during awful weather conditions, drawing a significant workload as the Vikings also played without fellow running back Jordan Mason (thumb) and quarterback Kyler Murray. The veteran running back briefly departed the game with a knee injury, but he returned to finish the fourth quarter as Minnesota tacked on a late field goal and held off the Bears' final drive. Even if Jones is unlikely to carry the ball as often as he did in Week 2, his involvement Sunday suggests he'll be lineup-worthy while Mason is on injured reserve. The Vikings travel to Tampa in Week 3.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) returned for the end of Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears. Jones was questionable to return after being injured in the second half, although he was able to get off the field on his own before being tended to by trainers. The veteran back is leading the Vikings' running game with teammate Jordan Mason (thumb) on IR, recording 17 carries for 85 yards before being injured in Week 2.