Who Should I Start? Aaron Jones or A.J. Dillon

Monday, April 7, 12:27 PM

The Minnesota Vikings have running back Aaron Jones penciled in as their starting RB again in 2025 after paying him more to return ($20 million over two seasons). However, ESPN's Kevin Seifert writes that new RB Jordan Mason isn't going to be a typical backup after they acquired him in a trade from the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has been very clear that he wants to pull back on Jones' usage after he set career-highs in snaps (700), rushing attempts (255) and total touches (306) in 2024. "When he has historically had that 1A/1B backfield structure, he can be a total game-changer every time he touches the ball," O'Connell said. "So it was always about bringing Aaron back ... but what are we going to pair him with?" It's obviously bad news for Jones' chances of an RB1 finish in fantasy in 2025, with Mason expected to be used in short-yardage and goal-line situations for the Vikes.

Wednesday, March 12, 7:24 PM

The Philadelphia Eagles have reached an agreement with free-agent running back AJ Dillon (neck) on Wednesday. It will be a one-year deal where Dillon will serve as the primary backup to Saquon Barkley in Philly. The 26-year-old is reportedly fully healthy after missing all of last season due to a neck injury. Before that, Dillon was the primary backup to Aaron Jones in Green Bay for four seasons. Dillon has rushed for nearly 2,500 yards during his career with 16 touchdowns on the ground. His fantasy outlook doesn't look great behind Barkley, but injuries do happen. Dillon is a quality backup and someone that can be counted on if Barkley is forced to miss time.