Who Should I Start? Aaron Jones or Jayden Reed

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.

Thursday, May 15, 1:01 PM

Green Bay Packers passing-game coordinator Jason Vrable said that wide receiver Jayden Reed is up to 199 pounds (up from 185 as a rookie) and has been one of the leaders of the receiver group this offseason. Vrable said that Reed has been "helping Matthew Golden with every single play." The 25-year-old was on pace for his first 1,000-yard season in 2024 in his sophomore campaign in the first half before fading down the stretch and then suffering a dislocated shoulder in the wild-card playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the team adding Golden and Savion Williams in this year's draft, the Packers still view Reed as their "top receiver." However, until we see it, the slot wideout's volume could be volatile, even with Christian Watson (knee) potentially miss half the season. Reed has the potential for a breakout, but he should be viewed as a boom/bust WR3/flex.