Who Should I Start? DeAndre Hopkins or Aaron Jones

Wednesday, May 28, 3:45 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is "moving great" at practice this offseason, according to head coach Jim Harbaugh. The 32-year-old signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the organization this offseason after spending last year with the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs. Hopkins, who has seven seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards on his resume, is not likely to be a consistent producer at this stage of his career, but he could still contribute as a third or fourth option in a passing attack. In 2024, he caught 15 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown in six games for Tennessee and hauled in 41 passes for 437 yards and four scores for Kansas City. With Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews on the roster, the veteran is likely competing with Isaiah Likely and Rashod Bateman for looks in 2025. He won't be a must-start fantasy option, but he could have streaming appeal in favorable matchups during his 13th NFL campaign.

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.