Who Should I Start? Aaron Jones or Tony Pollard

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.

Sunday, January 5, 11:46 AM

As expected, Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (ankle) is officially active on Sunday in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Houston Texans. After practicing on a limited basis all week, Pollard will return for the final game of the season after he sat out the Week 17 loss to the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars. Tyjae Spears (concussion) was ruled out, so Pollard could see a near full workload in his return as the Titans close out a disappointing season. The 27-year-old can earn an extra $250,000 if he racks up 83 rushing yards on the year for 1,100 yards on the season. If he scores twice on Sunday, he'd earn an extra $200,000, so Pollard could be busy and has plenty at stake for fantasy managers debating on whether to throw him into their starting lineups. He has clear RB2 upside for Week 18.