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.