Fantasy football managers who invested a mid-round draft pick in Minnesota Vikings RB Aaron Jones Sr. are facing a challenging situation after Week 2’s disappointing performance during Sunday Night Football.
The veteran’s night against Atlanta took an unexpected turn, leaving many scrambling for alternatives on the waiver wire. With backup options on the Vikings thin, the timing couldn’t be worse for those counting on Jones as a reliable starter. What’s the latest on his injury and his return timeline?
Aaron Jones Sr. Injury Update
Vikings RB Aaron Jones had just five carries for 23 yards against the Atlanta Falcons during Sunday Night Football before getting knocked out of the game with a hamstring injury.
Early indications suggest that the Vikings will not have Jones for their Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Head Coach Kevin O’Connell gives an injury update on Aaron Jones Sr. pic.twitter.com/BKaRvjX6BR
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 17, 2025
Backup Jordan Mason is set to step into a three-down role with the Vikings while Jones is on the mend. Veteran running back Ty Chandler is already on the injured reserve, leaving 2023 UDFA Zavier Scott as the only other healthy running back on the roster.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Dan Fornek
Jones Fantasy Outlook
We saw what was at risk from Jones taking almost a 2024 Jaylen Warren role to Jordan Mason’s Najee Harris in Week 2, so given that the former Packer is on injured reserve for at least four weeks, it saved you from yourself. It’s human nature.
When we spend something meaningful, we take an overly optimistic view of it when asked to evaluate it. Jones cost you a sixth-round pick this summer, so you were naturally more likely to look at his Week 1 usage as optimistic, citing the downfield routes as a path to rare upside.
In theory, those routes do offer something that few running backs have access to, but if not complemented by the stuff that every running back has access to, the juice isn’t really worth the squeeze.
Week 3 Fantasy Football Injury Recap: Players Include Joe Burrow, J.J. McCarthy, Jayden Reed and Others
Jones is a 30-year-old back with north of 1,700 touches on his NFL resume. The truth of the matter is that an injury was a real risk, and with a fading role, he may never return to my RB2 range this season.
You’re holding tight, but that’s more because you really don’t have a choice. He wasn’t involved much before the injury, and that tanked any trade value he could have had.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Kyle Soppe
