Who Should I Start? Aaron Jones Sr. or Tyjae Spears

Thursday, October 23, 7:26 PM

After being activated from Injured Reserve earlier in the day, Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (hamstring) is officially active and will return to play against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Week 8 on Thursday Night Football. Jones is returning to action this week for the first time since injuring his hamstring in the Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. It's surely a boost for Minnesota's ground game, but on a short week after he returned to practice on Tuesday, it seems unlikely that the 30-year-old veteran will see more touches in the backfield over Jordan Mason, who has been serving as the team's lead back when Jones was on IR. The Chargers were just dominated on the ground by Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, but Jones is an extremely risky lineup option on a short week without much practice time. Mason is the better play against the Bolts.

Saturday, October 18, 9:14 AM

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears has ascended into a significant role through two weeks post-injury. Now, he'll look to handle an increased workload in Week 7 against the New England Patriots. Spears has seen a gradual increase in usage through his two games, with the most notable difference being his snap share jumping from 25 percent to 59 percent. As of last week, he was on the field more than Tony Pollard, though he still logged less than half as many rushing attempts as the veteran. One of Spears' specialties is pass catching, which has given him a path to playing time. The Patriots have allowed the third-fewest rushing yards to running backs, but the 10th-most receiving yards to the position.