Jordan Mason to Miss Week 17, Aaron Jones Elevates Fantasy Football Ranking
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Per reports, it looks that Jordan Mason will be inactive for Christmas Dav Football against the Detroit Lions. This slots Aaron Jones into a high-volume role as the RB1. Perhaps, this just may be what you need to win your Fantasy Football Championship. Today, we will analyze this Vikings offense, led with Jones as the RB1. Shall we dive in?
Fantasy Football Impact
Mason has found himself on the injury report at times this season, but this will be the first game that he actually misses. Mason has been averaging (9.7) Attempts per Game, and now much of it will shift towards Jones.
The only other notable Running Back will be Zavier Scott. The 3rd Year UDFA has (4.8) Attempts per Game. He could work to a bit more without Mason, but it still should be much of Jones. This is how we project the backfield split:
- Aaron Jones 60-70%
- Zavier Scott 15-25%
- Balance of Rushes to JJ McCarthy and CJ Ham
The Vikings are 25th in Rushing Offense, running for (103.1) Yards per Game. They have (12) Team Rushing Touchdowns on the season.
Week 17 Outlook
The Vikings will face the Lions this week. They rank 16th in Rushing Yards Allowed and 11th versus the Running Back position. This will be a moderate matchup for Jones. Even if the Vikings fall behind, Jones has pass-catching value to stay involved. Jones commands (3.0) Targets and (2.2) Receptions per Game. This is just north of a 10% Target Share.
Given these numbers, we can expect Jones to rush for 50-70 Yards and have a 40-50% chance to score a Touchdown. Scott will be much lower with about 15-30 Rushing Yards and a <10% chance to score.
Stock Watch
Aaron Jones will be a solid RB2 with must-start volume.
Zavier Scott is not worth a handcuff this late in the season. Leave him on waivers.
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 17 Rankings
Zavier Scott: RB68
Jordan Mason Expects to be Out in Week 17
While the Vikings are not ruling out RB Jordan Mason (ankle) for Thursday, he’s considered a longshot as of now, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 23, 2025
The Vikings have listed Mason as doubtful to play on Christmas Day with an ankle injury. This is an injury that he suffered in Week 16 versus the Giants, being carted off in the 1st quarter. At this point in the season, it is very likely that Mason's season is over, as the Vikings play for nothing but the future.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.