Who Should I Start? Aaron Jones Sr. or De'Von Achane

Wednesday, December 24, 3:36 PM

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (ankle) has been a reliable, if unremarkable, fantasy option this year, but he finds himself in RB3 territory as Minnesota prepares to host the Detroit Lions on Christmas Day. Due to injuries to starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy (hand) and backup Carson Wentz (shoulder), the Vikings are down to third-stringer Max Brosmer, an undrafted rookie. Already without left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee), the Vikings also ruled out center Ryan Kelly (concussion) and tight end T.J. Hockenson (shoulder), while right tackle Brian O'Neill (heel) is questionable. Jones figures to get most of the running back work with fellow running back Jordan Mason (ankle) injured, but the Vikings' offense is a shell of what it was even two weeks ago. Detroit ranks 12th against half-PPR running backs, and the Lions surely will be keying on the run in an effort to put pressure on Brosmer. Managers will have to weigh whether Jones dominating the backfield is worth the risk of relying upon an offense counting on so many reserves.

Friday, December 19, 8:11 PM

Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright followed up his explosive campaign with a dud in Week 15, totaling only two rushing yards on one carry against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wright totaled 107 yards on 24 carries against the New York Jets in Week 14, but was phased back to his reserve role with De'Von Achane playing through his rib injury. Wright dropped from a 52% snap share to an 8% snap share last week. Wright appears to be the direct handcuff to Achane, and with two weeks left in the fantasy season, it's hard to fathom that Wright will be fantasy relevant for the remainder of the 2025 season. While he faces the worst run defense in the NFL in the Cincinnati Bengals, he doesn't carry enough volume to be worth rostering.