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When will Aaron Jones return and play? Will Aaron Jones be back again this season? Read the latest Aaron Jones Sr. injury updates and return date for Week 7 (2025).
There have been so many injuries early in this fantasy season that it is easy to forget that Aaron Jones Sr. has been on the injured reserve since Week 2.
Jones was one of the most valuable players in fantasy football in 2024, finishing as the RB20 (14.2 points per game) thanks to a career-high 306 touches in his first season with the Minnesota Vikings. Jones re-signed with the team this offseason, but was set to compete for touches with trade acquisition Jordan Mason in 2025.
What is Jones’s status heading into Week 7? When will he return from his injury? Read below to find out.
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Aaron Jones Injury Update
Jones suffered a hamstring strain in the Vikings’ Week 2 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons that ultimately landed the veteran running back on the injured reserve.
Unfortunately, Jones is not eligible to return from the injured reserve until Week 8 because the Vikings had their bye in Week 6. The rule that players must miss four games (and not just four weeks) is a double-edged sword in this case.
On the one hand, fantasy managers who drafted Jones would certainly like the ability to put him into their lineup in Week 7, given the numerous players who are injured or missing due to their bye week. On the other hand, Jones, a player with a long list of soft tissue injuries, has had an extra week to rest so he can return at full strength.
J.J. McCarthy to Aaron Jones to put the Vikings ahead!
MINvsCHI on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/yCrUxLdH1U— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2025
As it stands, Jones is expected to return to the field (and fantasy lineups) in Week 8.
Aaron Jones Fantasy Football Outlook
Fantasy managers who drafted Jones expecting the same role as in 2024 were likely concerned with his usage in Week 1. Jones played on just 50% of the Vikings' snaps in that game, handling eight carries for 23 yards while in a full-blown split with offseason trade acquisition Mason. Thankfully, Jones was able to catch all three of his targets for 44 yards and a touchdown.
That production gave Jones a top 12 finish (15.7 PPR points) in his lone game action. Unfortunately, Mason’s performance with Jones on injured reserve has done little to justify reducing his role in the offense once the veteran returns.
From Weeks 3 to 5, Mason averaged 15.0 carries, 75 rushing yards, and scored three rushing touchdowns on a 62.7% snap share. He was the RB18 in PPR points per game (15.5) despite averaging just 2.0 receptions and 6.3 receiving yards per game.
Jordan Mason gives Minnesota the lead! 🇬🇧 @NFLUKIRE
MINvsCLE on @nflnetwork
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/C4uaTHpivm— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
That may not be what Jones' drafters were hoping for when they drafted the veteran running back during the summer, but it is still far from a worst-case scenario. Jones will still get the valuable touches in the passing attack and will likely contribute at times throughout the game on early downs as well.
That role is good enough for him to be considered an RB2 (with weekly top 12 upside depending on matchups) for the remainder of the season.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 7 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Jordan Mason, D'Andre Swift, Rachaad White, Tony Pollard, Jaylen Warren, Chase Brown, Alvin Kamara, Woody Marks. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 7. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 7 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jordan Mason, D'Andre Swift, Rachaad White, Tony Pollard, Jaylen Warren, Chase Brown, Alvin Kamara, Woody Marks. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 7.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 7 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 7 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 7 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 7 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Kimani Vidal, Hassan Haskins, Michael Carter, Bam Knight, Tyler Allgeier, Rachaad White, Quinshon Judkins, compared to others:
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