Aaron Jones is being disrespected in a way that makes no sense
After they asked him to take a pay cut for the second straight offseason, Aaron Jones told the Green Bay Packers no and he was cut. Roughly 24 hours later, or less truly, he had agreed to terms with the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year, $7 million deal.
Jones proved to be a fantastic fit for Minnesota last season, as he set a career-high in rushing yards (1,138) with 51 receptions and seven total touchdowns. The Vikings re-upped with him on a two-year, $20 million deal ($13 million in total guarantees) this offseason.
Regardless of scoring format, Jones was a top-16 fantasy running back last season. His current ADP for 2025 is outside the top-25 running backs no matter the scoring format, which screams value. The Football Guys crew took up the case for Jones as an underrated running back to target in fantasy drafts, with analyst Phil Alexander making the most pointed case.
"The Vikings didn’t give Aaron Jones $13.5 million guaranteed to play second fiddle. He was signed to lead a backfield that should generate plenty of scoring chances with Kevin O’Connell calling plays and talented first-year starter J.J. McCarthy under center. Jordan Mason figures to see more work than Ty Chandler did, but Jones is the most complete back on the roster and remains a fixture in the passing game."
"Jones has averaged 48 receptions per season since 2019 and continues to operate as one of the league’s most versatile backs, even while managing nagging injuries. In 2024, Jones ranked top-10 among running backs in routes run, targets, receptions, receiving yards, and red zone touches — all signs of a strong weekly floor and access to high-value volume. Even at age 30, it’s wild to see a back this proven falling behind rookies in crowded backfields or veterans with murky roles."
Aaron Jones is not the best fantasy value in the Minnesota Vikings' backfield
Alexander somehow did not include Jones in a group of veteran running backs with "murky roles" this year. While he should maintain a strong passing down role, literally everything else is up in the air.
The Vikings acquired Jordan Mason from the San Francisco 49ers days after re-signing Jones, then they promptly gave him a two-year contract. So much for the idea about contractual investment giving Jones some sort of special edge.
Mason was a more effective short yardage runner (1-3 yards to go) than Jones by 2.4 yards per carry last year, and if you project what he did for the 49ers over a full 17 games he might've finished top-10 in the league in red zone carries. At it was, Mason had one fewer red zone rushing touchdown in 12 games than Jones had in 17, on a far lower share of his team's red zone carries.
Jones needed sheer volume (career-highs in carries, touches and snaps) to deliver what he did for his fantasy managers last year. Mason is an undeniable threat to that volume.
As much as Jones might prove to be a bargain in fantasy drafts, Mason is an even better value with an ADP outside the top-30 running backs regardless of scoring format right now. So then it becomes a conversation about upside.
As a fantasy manager, do you want a running back entering his age-31 season coming off the biggest workload of his career? Or would you rather have a 26-year old running back with 236 career carries who excelled everywhere (as a runner) last year that the older guy he's now joining in the same backfield didn't?
How you answer those questions reveals where you stand on which Vikings' running back is the better fantasy option this year.
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