Ian Hartitz pushed back on the Mason hype and sided with Aaron Jones as the lead Viking. He pointed to the contracts—Jones got two years and $20 M versus Mason’s 2-year, $10 M deal—as an organizational signal of intended usage. Hartitz expects Jones to keep the valuable receiving role and most early-down snaps, calling goal-line talk overblown because NFL offenses rarely wholesale-sub backs inside the five. Mason converted just 1-of-7 carries inside the five last season, further dampening the ‘bulldozer’ narrative. Hartitz ranked the duo back-to-back for ceiling handcuff appeal but would draft Jones straight up for his target floor.

Jake Ciely recommended drafting Aaron Jones ahead of Jordan Mason even after Tuesday’s report of Mason running with the first-team offense. Ciely called the headline noise—‘it’s more telling when you DON’T run with the ones.’ He expects Jones to start Week 1, dominate the passing-down work, and handle the highest-value touches. Ciely likened the split to Pittsburgh but reversed: Jones plays the Jalen Warren role while Mason steals Najee-style short-yardage carries. Until Mason clearly outplays him, Ciely sees Jones as an undervalued RB2 with reception-driven upside in PPR formats.

Connor Allen recommended betting the season-long UNDER on Aaron Jones’ 750-yard rushing prop. Allen expects newly–acquired Jordan Mason to handle most of the goal-line and early-down work, forcing a true split that caps Jones’ volume. He noted insider reports (via Crack Rock) that Minnesota plans to keep Jones fresh, plus Jones’ own durability history that has limited him to 12.2 carries per game over the past three seasons. With a top-10 interior offensive line now in place, the Vikings can stay efficient on the ground without leaning on one back, making 750 yards ‘a lot’ for a part-time runner who still carries injury downside.

Sean Koerner waved the red flag on Aaron Jones at his current RB25 ADP. Koerner pointed out that Jones is already 30 and turns 31 during the season, a danger zone for running-back decline. He called last year’s health a fluke—Jones played all 17 games after missing multiple contests in prior seasons—so drafters are assuming best-case durability. Unlike 2024, Minnesota added Jordan Mason, who flashed in San Francisco and is already being talked up for goal-line work. Koerner reminded listeners that Jones coughed up the ball several times in 2024 and the Vikings briefly benched him but had no capable replacement; Mason could now seize that role outright. Put it all together and Koerner believes drafters are paying near Jones’s ceiling while ignoring a much lower floor that includes losing TDs, a committee split, or even a mid-season benching. He advised treating Jones as a classic “frozen pond” back to fade unless he slides well past consensus.

Whalen labeled Aaron Jones an “easy eight-out-of-eight fade.” The 30-year-old’s red-zone efficiency cratered last season, and Minnesota immediately brought in Jordan Mason while telegraphing a split backfield. Given Jones’ lengthy injury history, Whalen fears the Vikings will ultimately decide Mason is the fresher goal-line option, leaving Jones as an overpriced flex play.

Liam Murphy argued that Aaron Jones is still a ceiling play in Best Ball Mania despite turning 30. Murphy pointed out that Kevin O’Connell leans heavily on running backs in the passing game and that Minnesota’s offensive line quietly climbed from 24th to 13th in ESPN’s run-block win rate last season. Because Jones has never been a 300-touch grinder—he’s averaged only 213 touches over the past four years—the tread on his tires is lighter than most backs his age. Murphy also noted that Green Bay’s historical committee usage with Jamaal Williams limited Jones’ collisions, giving him a better shot to stay explosive on his new team. He’s bumping Jones up a half-round in his personal ranks, especially on BBM builds that need reception-heavy spike weeks.

Peter Overzet said Aaron Jones belongs in the exact same late-eighth/early-ninth-round tier as Tony Pollard and is one of the final backs on the board with true three-down equity. He called Jones a classic “mystery-box” play because the new Viking offense will be piloted by rookie quarterback Cam Ward, creating a huge range of outcomes. In Pete’s view that uncertainty actually boosts Jones’ appeal: the staff could easily lean run-heavy to protect the rookie, giving the 29-year-old an 18-touch workload that simply does not exist for the backs available after pick 100. Once Pollard and Jones are gone, drafters are forced into muddy committees or pure contingent-upside darts, so Overzet advises scooping whichever of the two falls in every Badge Bros Brawl room before moving on to scroll-down lottery tickets.

Chalk Ninja said he would bet the under on Aaron Jones’ 2025 rushing-yards prop of 775.5 at DraftKings (-110). He recalled Jones repeatedly leaving games early last season, highlighted the planned 1A/1B split with Jordan Mason, and emphasized that Jones is now on the wrong side of 30. With diminished volume and elevated durability concerns, Ninja doubts Jones reaches 776 yards, making the under an attractive wager.

Nick Holtz advised fading Aaron Jones in 2025 drafts despite the veteran’s likable reputation. Jones posted career-high carries and rushing yards last year, but his efficiency is tailing off: yards per carry has declined in back-to-back seasons and he ranked 40th of 46 qualifying backs in missed tackles forced per attempt. Now entering his age-30 season, he heads to Minnesota where Kevin O’Connell has already called the backfield a "1A-1B" split with Jordan Mason, signaling a cut in volume. Combining eroding efficiency, reduced opportunity and typical age-related risk, Holtz finds Jones an unappealing pick at his current cost.

Best Ball Guy recommended grabbing Aaron Jones now that the market has chased Jordan Mason out of the value zone. He still loves Minnesota’s offense—citing its overall appeal earlier in the show—but admitted Mason’s ADP surge from the 118 range has cooled his exposure. Jones, who costs less and is expected to start the year as the Vikings’ lead back, lets drafters capture the same high-scoring environment without paying the new premium on Mason. In builds that already need a Week-10 bye-week running back, Jones is his preferred mid-round selection.

Shawn Siegele urged drafters to pass on Aaron Jones at his Round-6 price, explaining that Jones simply did not do enough in advantageous looks last year. When facing light boxes he posted middling yards after contact and explosive-run rates, a red flag in Kevin O’Connell’s spread-out offense that should see plenty of those fronts again. Siegele acknowledged Jones will catch passes, but argued the ceiling is capped because Jordan Mason — younger, healthier, and far more dynamic on a per-touch basis — is likely to siphon early-down work. If the roles crystallize, Jones ends up the high-priced committee back while Mason is two rounds cheaper. Given that risk/reward profile, Siegele labeled Jones a clear fade in both best-ball and season-long formats.

Sean Koerner warned drafters that Aaron Jones is drifting toward a low-impact passing-down role. The veteran turned 30 and looked a step slow compared with his 2022 playoff run, drawing benchings for fumbles last season. Koerner expects Jordan Mason to siphon early-down and goal-line work—O’Connell publicly said Mason was signed to keep Jones healthy—while Josh Oliver handles most pass-pro snaps, allowing Jones to motion into the slot. That usage caps Jones’ touchdown equity and likely limits him to 10–12 touches per game. Given the climb in his ADP following the Vikings’ backfield makeover, Koerner is fading Jones in both season-long and best-ball drafts, preferring backs with clearer paths to high-value touches in the same range.

Ron Stewart highlighted Aaron Jones as his favorite upside pick from the aging 2017 cohort, insisting the fantasy community is overreacting to Jordan Mason’s signing and last year’s goal-line woes. The Vikings’ interior line was "brutal" in 2023; Jones converted just 3-of-12 carries inside the five, but Mason managed only 1-of-7, so Stewart sees the offseason additions as a team-wide push to improve short-yardage efficiency, not a plan to vulture Jones. Despite the down year, Jones still finished top-three among RBs in yards per route run and remained Minnesota’s most explosive per-touch option. With Kevin O’Connell preaching balance post-Cousins and a retooled interior line, Stewart expects Jones to retain every-down snaps and recapture his career-long touchdown efficiency. Drafted in the late fifth/early sixth as a flex, Jones carries a legitimate RB1 stretch-run ceiling if the Vikings’ red-zone upgrades click.

Pete Overzet endorsed nudging Aaron Jones up a few picks to secure him as the RB2 on Justin Jefferson builds. He grouped Jones with Isaiah Pacheco and Tony Pollard in the same flat veteran tier and argued the tiny ADP tax is worthwhile because it adds Week-17 correlation and roster uniqueness fewer drafters will copy. Overzet stressed that the veteran cluster projects almost identically, so sliding Jones ahead of four names is "no big deal" while the correlation bonus could separate a Best Ball Mania lineup in the playoff weeks.

Best Ball Guy called Aaron Jones a smash at pick 80, arguing drafters are overreacting to Jordan Mason’s offseason hype. Jones still averaged 4.9 yards per touch last year, caught 41 balls in only 12 healthy games, and produced three 20-point fantasy outings despite sharing snaps in Green Bay. Now he steps into what the tout labeled "one of the best offenses in the NFL," with Kevin O’Connell’s unit finishing top-6 in neutral-situation pace and red-zone plays per game. Jones’ pass-game chops fit perfectly with J.J. McCarthy’s check-down tendencies, and the Vikings have ranked top-8 in RB targets for two straight seasons. Best Ball Guy thinks Mason is a fine flier, but the ADPs have converged enough that he’s "buying the other side of that coin"—betting on Jones’ established receiving role and proven weekly ceiling in a dome-heavy schedule.

Best Ball Guy said he has been drafting Aaron Jones "a little bit more" because the veteran back fits a cheap Minnesota game stack that features CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in Week 15—an elimination week that matters most in the $1 Dalmatian. He framed Jones as an inexpensive way to gain leverage on that playoff matchup while still capturing a proven three-down skill set. The host added that people are over-reacting to Jones’ age curve, noting the Vikings offense should funnel plenty of check-downs his way if rookie J.J. McCarthy struggles pushing the ball downfield.

Hayden Winks cooled on Aaron Jones after digging into 2023 usage. Jones handled a career-high 306 touches, but his yards per game slipped from 101 in the first half to 79 in the second, suggesting wear-and-tear at age 30. Most alarming, he under-scored by 5.9 TDs versus usage—the largest negative differential in the league—because the Vikings simply could not get inside the 10 (Davis Mills logged more inside-10 rushing yards than Jones). Minnesota traded for bruiser Jordan Mason and Winks expects Mason to poach goal-line work, especially after the team added three interior linemen specifically to improve short-yardage push. With Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson commanding targets, Winks doubts Jones can offset the TD loss through receptions, making him a fade at current ADP in both Best Ball tournaments and traditional leagues.

Ian Hartitz admitted his RB23 rank on Aaron Jones might be two-or-three spots too bullish after Minnesota traded for Jordan Mason, but he is not abandoning ship. Hartitz reminded listeners that Kevin O’Connell openly framed Mason as a short-yardage and goal-line specialist—yet Mason scored on just 1-of-7 carries inside the five last season, while Jones’ new contract dwarfs Mason’s. The Vikings are paying for Jones’ explosiveness (career 5.1 YPC) and high-end receiving profile—he owns four straight years of 12%+ target share—which matter far more in full-PPR formats. Hartitz now projects a roughly 60/40 touch split with Jones handling the entire two-minute offense and most early-down work outside the five, good for 225 touches and mid-RB2 production even if Mason poaches half the goal-line looks.

Nick Whalen gave a cautious 3/5 endorsement to Aaron Jones over 775.5 rushing yards at –110. Jones topped 1,100 yards last year and has cleared this mark in five of his past six seasons, so averaging 55–60 yards across 13–14 games would cash the ticket. Whalen’s hesitation is durability—Jones’ recent soft-tissue issues—and Minnesota’s intent to share carries. He expects a surprisingly balanced split with Jordan Mason, signed from San Francisco, and pointed out that Jones was the league’s most inefficient high-volume red-zone back in 2024. Whalen even sees a scenario where Mason becomes the 1A late in the year, but the total is low enough that Jones can still get home if he stays on the field.

Nick Whalen said he is passing on Aaron Jones at his current RB25 price despite last year’s RB14 finish. Jones turns 31 mid-season and logged career-high usage in 2024 (255 carries, 306 touches), a workload Whalen believes Minnesota wants to scale back. Kevin O’Connell already called newcomer Jordan Mason the “1B,” hinting at a true committee and ceding most goal-line carries after Jones converted only 3-of-24 totes inside the 10 for touchdowns. Whalen also pointed to Jones’ long injury history in Green Bay, his meager seven total TDs despite 17 healthy games, and uncertainty around a J.J. McCarthy‐led offense that might not repeat last year’s top-10 scoring rate. Given the risk of reduced volume, age-related decline, and touchdown volatility, Whalen prefers upside rookies or cheaper backs like Tony Pollard and Isiah Pacheco in that draft range.

Joe Pisapia bet Aaron Jones under 750.5 regular-season rushing yards at –114. Pisapia expects Kevin O’Connell to lean on the younger, fresher Jordan Mason between the tackles and at the goal line, leaving Jones in a reduced change-of-pace role. He pointed out that the 29-year-old Jones has 1,400 NFL touches on his odometer and missed four games last year with knee and hamstring issues—wear and tear that makes a 750-yard threshold ambitious. With Mason siphoning early-down work and J.J. McCarthy likely adding designed QB runs, Pisapia sees a crowded backfield that caps Jones’ volume well below the posted prop.

Nez flagged Aaron Jones as a sneaky ceiling play after noticing Underdog has not posted a season-long rushing-touchdown prop for him. He explained that lines are withheld when oddsmakers have low confidence in a player’s role, creating an information vacuum that can be exploited. Jones sits in a wide-open Minnesota backfield where neither Ty Chandler nor rookie Khyree Snowden has proven they can handle red-zone work. If the veteran secures even a 45-50% share of inside-the-five carries—something he has done in six of seven career seasons—his touchdown total could push double digits. Because the missing TD line suppresses both Pick’Em demand and ADP (currently RB30), Nez is jamming Jones in Best Ball drafts as a volatility bet and will hammer any rushing-TD number that opens below 7.5.

Cody Woodman said the market is sleeping on Aaron Jones after he fell an entire round past ADP in their draft room. Jones lands in Minnesota at the exact moment rookie QB J.J. McCarthy badly needs a reliable run game; Woodman expects Kevin O’Connell to mimic last year’s Sam Darnold script by leaning on the ground attack and easy swing passes to keep the rookie on schedule. Jones has averaged 5.1 yards per carry for his career and handled 50+ receptions in three different seasons, giving him both rushing volume and pass-game floor. With no proven competition (Ty Chandler and rookie Irving are change-of-pace types), Woodman projects 15-18 touches per week and sees little risk at a price that now sits more than 12 picks below his summer high.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound argued that the room is overreacting to Aaron Jones’ age and completely missing his touch upside in Minnesota. Jones logged 306 touches last year and, according to Pat, "is easily the 1A" in Kevin O’Connell’s new, run-heavy offense that will look to protect rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy the same way the 2023 Panthers protected Sam Darnold. Pat dismissed concerns that Ty Chandler or Kene Nwangwu will siphon goal-line work, noting any spell back will only handle full drives when Jones is resting. Pat projects "at least 200 touches" for Jones and called him a smash at pick 85 because that volume normally costs two full rounds earlier in Underdog’s Greyhound lobby.

Andy Holloway pushed back on the idea of comfortably slotting Aaron Jones in as your RB2. While he trusts Jones to dominate passing-down snaps—Minnesota still declined to throw to Jordan Mason in San Francisco because of his "stone-hands" reputation—Holloway worries about Kevin O’Connell employing a weekly hot-hand approach now that Mason is in town. Jones is coming off a career-high 317 opportunities at age 30, and Holloway noted the veteran has battled lower-body injuries for years. The offense’s overall efficiency hinges on rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, another layer of variance. Holloway pegged Jones’ ceiling around last year’s RB15 finish but set a downside scenario outside the top-30 if the workload splits 60/40 or an injury strikes. He cautioned drafters who take rookie-heavy swings in the same draft pocket to recognize how fragile Jones’ profile is relative to his RB2 price tag.

Mike Wright labeled Aaron Jones the quintessential 2025 wild-card but reminded drafters that the veteran quietly finished as RB16 last year, averaging 11.1 PPR points on a career-high 317 opportunities. Minnesota extended Jones and then traded for Jordan Mason—who averaged 5.6 YPC and 95 rushing yards per game through Week 7 in San Francisco—creating uncertainty. Wright noted Jones still handled 70% of the Vikings’ backfield snaps in the second half and dominated passing-down work (59 targets, 83% route participation when active). With Kevin O’Connell’s offense ranking top-12 in both plays per game and red-zone trips the past two seasons, Wright believes Jones retaining even a 65/35 split would lock in mid-RB2 numbers. Current ADP sits in the late 6th round on Sleeper; Wright called that a "free square" for managers who started WR-heavy or paid up for an elite QB/TE.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound said drafting Aaron Jones at pick 89 is "easy money." He reminded viewers the veteran logged nearly 300 touches last season and immediately pushed Ty Chandler to the side once healthy. Pat projected a very reachable 225-touch workload in Minnesota, arguing Kevin O’Connell will lean on Jones to take pressure off rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy and stabilize the offense. That volume alone would smash Jones’s late-eighth/early-ninth-round ADP without requiring a career year. Because Jones still owns goal-line equity and the Vikings face two projected shoot-outs indoors during the fantasy playoffs, Pat sees him as the perfect hero-RB anchor that lets drafters keep hammering wide receivers early. He also noted the pick creates natural Week-17 correlation with Jordan Addison, adding a portfolio bonus beyond the raw closing-line value.

Pete Overzet said he is almost never clicking Aaron Jones at his current eighth-round cost. Jones turns 30 this season, has battled recurring hamstring issues for three straight years, and looked sluggish down the stretch in 2023, logging only one run over 15 yards after Week 10. Overzet compared him to "the Brian Robinson/Pacheco tier" rather than the Tony Pollard–James Conner group the market prices him alongside. Given Minnesota’s crowded skill group and likely committee usage with Ty Chandler, Overzet prefers to take upside backs or receivers in that pocket and will stay underweight until Jones’ ADP drops at least a full round.