Who Should I Start? Aaron Jones or James Cook

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.

Tuesday, June 10, 12:31 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is officially present at mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, although it's unclear how much he'll actually participate this week as he seeks a new long-term deal, a source tells NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Cook skipped voluntary organized team activities in April and May but wasn't ready to be fined by skipping minicamp as he looks for a new deal as he heads into the final year of his current deal. The 25-year-old former second-rounder had a big year for the Bills and fantasy managers in his third season in 2024. After scoring four rushing touchdowns combined in his first two seasons, Cook broke out with a league-high 16 TDs on the ground while finishing with 1,009 rushing yards on 207 carries. He added 32 catches for 258 yards and two more scores. The two-time Pro Bowler will face serious TD regression in 2025 but should still be the unquestioned RB1 in Buffalo.