The Minnesota Vikings will face the Detroit Lions in Week 18. 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 18?
The Vikings’ star RB suffered a quad contusion late in Minnesota’s win over the Packers. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said Jones should be able to practice this week, and that came to fruition with the running back getting in a limited session on Wednesday and Thursday.
Jones returned to a full practice on Friday and carries no injury designation heading into Sunday Night Football. With the NFC North and No. 1 seed on the line versus the Lions, it’s no surprise to see Minnesota’s starting running back in the lineup.
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 18?
Jones suffered a quad injury last week, and while he is still expected to suit up, it’s a situation that at least deserves your attention. If you want to fully protect yourself against a late scratch, Cam Akers is the handcuff, though I’d be tempted to think that, in this event, the Vikings heap more responsibilities onto Sam Darnold than asking Akers to do his best Jones impression.
Jones has multiple receptions in six straight and has seen at least four passes thrown his way in four of those games. His versatility is being used by Kevin O’Connell, and we love to see it, especially when the splash plays on the ground have disappeared (five straight games without a rush gaining more than 15 yards).
I’d be awfully surprised if we got the 17-touch, 116-yard, one-touchdown showing that we got from Jones against the Lions back in Week 7 again, but 15-ish touches with the potential for a nice receiving game very much makes for a logical projection this week so long as he can avoid a setback.
I like Detroit to win (and cover) this game, something that hurts Jones’ projection a bit but doesn’t knock him outside of my RB2 tier.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 18 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Aaron Jones’ Fantasy Points Projection in Week 18
As of Sunday, Jones is projected to score 16.9 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 19.4 rushing attempts for 95.1 yards and 0.4 touchdowns. It also includes 1.5 receptions for 21.4 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’ Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 8:30 AM ET on Sunday, January 12. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Wild Card Superflex Rankings.
Wild Card RB PPR Rankings
1) Saquon Barkley | PHI (vs. GB)
2) Bucky Irving | TB (vs. WAS)
3) Derrick Henry | BAL (vs. PIT)
4) Kyren Williams | LAR (vs. MIN)
5) Josh Jacobs | GB (at PHI)
6) Joe Mixon | HOU (vs. LAC)
7) Aaron Jones | MIN (at LAR)
8) J.K. Dobbins | LAC (at HOU)
9) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS (at TB)
10) Jaylen Warren | PIT (at BAL)
11) Jaleel McLaughlin | DEN (at BUF)
12) Najee Harris | PIT (at BAL)
13) Cam Akers | MIN (at LAR)
14) Justice Hill | BAL (vs. PIT)
15) Javonte Williams | DEN (at BUF)
16) Austin Ekeler | WAS (at TB)
17) Gus Edwards | LAC (at HOU)
18) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI (vs. GB)
19) Emanuel Wilson | GB (at PHI)
20) Rachaad White | TB (vs. WAS)
21) James Cook | BUF (vs. DEN)
22) Ray Davis | BUF (vs. DEN)
23) Audric Estimé | DEN (at BUF)
24) Ty Johnson | BUF (vs. DEN)
25) Kimani Vidal | LAC (at HOU)
26) Dameon Pierce | HOU (vs. LAC)
27) Dare Ogunbowale | HOU (vs. LAC)
28) Cordarrelle Patterson | PIT (at BAL)
29) Jeremy McNichols | WAS (at TB)
30) Chris Brooks | GB (at PHI)
31) Will Shipley | PHI (vs. GB)
32) Sean Tucker | TB (vs. WAS)
33) Hassan Haskins | LAC (at HOU)
34) Ronnie Rivers | LAR (vs. MIN)
35) Keaton Mitchell | BAL (vs. PIT)
36) Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (at TB)
37) C.J. Ham | MIN (at LAR)
38) Michael Burton | DEN (at BUF)
39) Rasheen Ali | BAL (vs. PIT)
40) Patrick Ricard | BAL (vs. PIT)
41) Ty Chandler | MIN (at LAR)
42) Tyrion Davis-Price | PHI (vs. GB)
43) Reggie Gilliam | BUF (vs. DEN)
44) Tyler Badie | DEN (at BUF)
45) Ellis Merriweather | GB (at PHI)
46) Michael Wiley | WAS (at TB)
47) Cody Schrader | LAR (vs. MIN)
48) Blake Watson | DEN (at BUF)
49) J.J. Taylor | HOU (vs. LAC)
50) Aaron Shampklin | PIT (at BAL)
51) Jaret Patterson | LAC (at HOU)
52) Khari Blasingame | CHI ()
53) Jonathan Ward | PIT (at BAL)
54) Frank Gore Jr. | BUF (vs. DEN)