The Minnesota Vikings continue operating without their veteran ball carrier as he works through an extended injury absence. Aaron Jones Sr. has been sidelined on injured reserve following a hamstring strain that occurred in early September. With Week 7 approaching, should fantasy football managers expect his return when first eligible?
Aaron Jones Sr. Injury Update
Jones suffered his hamstring injury during Minnesota’s second-quarter collapse against Atlanta in Week 2. The severity of the strain prompted the Vikings to place him on the reserve list on September 17, guaranteeing his absence for a minimum of four contests.
The 30-year-old has now missed three games and must sit out one additional contest before becoming eligible to return. NFL injured reserve regulations require players to miss four full games rather than four calendar weeks, meaning the Vikings’ Week 6 bye does not count toward his mandatory absence.
This will be the final week Jones is required to miss, as he becomes eligible to return in Week 8 when Minnesota travels to face the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football. Reports suggest Jones is targeting this return date and appears on track to be activated when first eligible.
The extended timeline has provided Jones over a month to completely address the hamstring problem. Minnesota has taken a conservative rehabilitation approach given his recurring hamstring troubles throughout his professional career, explaining the organization’s determination to have him at full strength before clearing him for game action.
Before the injury occurred, Jones had managed just 46 rushing yards on 13 attempts through two games. His pass-catching provided more value with three receptions totaling 44 yards and one touchdown, highlighted by a 27-yard scoring grab in the season opener.
Jones Fantasy Outlook
During Jones’ extended absence, Jordan Mason has established himself as Minnesota’s featured ball carrier and proven himself as a weekly fantasy starter. Mason has commanded the majority of touches and demonstrated his ability to shoulder a heavy workload across the first five weeks.
Mason’s consistency was evident in Week 5 against Cleveland, where he managed 52 rushing yards and a touchdown against a very tough run defense. His reliable production has made him a dependable RB2 option for fantasy purposes throughout this stretch.
Prior to Jones’ injury, Mason was already outproducing the veteran in key areas. Through the first two games, Mason had accumulated 27 total touches compared to Jones’ 16, while maintaining better efficiency at 4.7 yards per carry versus Jones’ 3.5 average.
When Jones returns in Week 8, he’ll likely reclaim his specialized role on passing downs where his superior receiving skills and route-running provide advantages over Mason in third-down packages and hurry-up situations. However, Mason’s impressive performance suggests he’ll retain most early-down and red-zone opportunities moving forward.
Jones should maintain fantasy relevance through his receiving contributions and some early-down work, though his overall workload will probably decrease from preseason projections. Fantasy managers should prepare for a divided backfield rather than Jones resuming workhorse duties.