The Minnesota Vikings will face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding RB Aaron Jones
Is Aaron Jones Playing in Week 8?
After Week 5, Jones seemed likely to miss time due to his hamstring and hip injuries, as he was labeled “week to week.” However, after resting during the Week 6 bye, he managed to play against the Lions and deliver one of his best games of the season.
Jones looked terrific against Detroit, rushing 14 times for 93 yards and one touchdown and catching three passes for 23 yards. In fact, his 6.6 yards per attempt was his second-best mark of the season behind only Week 1, when he averaged 6.7 yards per carry against the New York Giants.
While Jones’ strong performance bodes well for his availability going forward, he continues to be limited in practice due to his hamstring injury. The veteran running back was limited in practice on Monday and Tuesday.
Fortunately, Jones recently told reporters that his hamstring gave him “no problems” in Week 7 and described it as “not so much of a concern” long-term.
When asked if he’ll need to manage this injury throughout the rest of the season, Jones responded: “I feel like I will be back to normal. I don’t feel like this is something I will continue to have to manage.”
We’ll continue to monitor the Vikings’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Aaron Jones in Week 8?
We weren’t 100% sure that Jones would give it a go last week. Any concerns about his health were dashed after exactly one carry, as his first touch was a 34-yard score. The big week resulted in Jones’ fourth game returning starting value to his fantasy managers, and that’s more than enough of a résumé to play him with confidence against the fourth-worst rush defense by EPA in the league.
Four times this season a running back has produced at least 24% over expectation against Los Angeles this season (David Montgomery, Josh Jacobs, James Conner, and D’Andre Swift), and with Jones pacing for his best boom/bust season since 2018 (the difference in percentage of carries that gain at least 10 yards with the ones that don’t get past the line of scrimmage), he’s flirting with top-15 status assuming that there are no lasting health concerns.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 8 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Aaron Jones’ Fantasy Points Projection in Week 8
Jones is projected to score 13.3 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 15.2 rushing attempts for 74.5 yards and 0.3 touchdowns. It also includes 1.2 receptions for 16.8 yards and 0.2 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Aaron Jones’ Week 8 Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.
Conference Championship RB PPR Rankings
1) Saquon Barkley | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) James Cook | BUF (at KC)
3) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS (at PHI)
4) Isiah Pacheco | KC (vs. BUF)
5) Kareem Hunt | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Austin Ekeler | WAS (at PHI)
7) Ray Davis | BUF (at KC)
8) Ty Johnson | BUF (at KC)
9) Samaje Perine | KC (vs. BUF)
10) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI (vs. WAS)
11) Jeremy McNichols | WAS (at PHI)
12) Will Shipley | PHI (vs. WAS)
13) Carson Steele | KC (vs. BUF)
14) Reggie Gilliam | BUF (at KC)
15) Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (at PHI)
