RADIO
Browns Sign Audric Estime Amid RB Injuries
The Cleveland Browns are signing running back Audric Estime off the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad to their 53-man roster on Monday, sources told Jordan Schultz. The 23-year-old Estime brings 508 career rushing yards, 130 receiving yards, and three touchdowns to his new team. The Browns' running back room is banged up after starter Quinshon Judkins (ankle) and Raheim Sanders (hip) were both injured in the Week 5 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday. Dylan Sampson (knee) could return to practice this week, but he is not a lock to be activated from Injured Reserve to play in Week 6 against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. Jaleel McLaughlin is the only other RB on the Browns' active roster, so Estime could be thrust into a significant role immediately if Judkins, Sanders, and Sampson are all unavailable to play this weekend. Estime, a former fifth-rounder from Notre Dame in 2024 by the Denver Broncos, has yet to play in 2026 after appearing in only seven games in 2025 with the New Orleans Saints.
Source: Jordan Schultz
Source: Jordan Schultz
Aaron Jones Sr. is Stellar on the Ground
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. took on a heavy workload during Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. The veteran back carried the ball 25 times for 113 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Saints. He also added three receptions on three targets for an additional four yards through the air. Both the rushing attempts and rushing yards are new season highs for Jones. He has been the workhorse back in Minnesota while Jordan Mason (thumb) is out. It's worth noting that Mason is eligible to return from the Injured Reserve next week. His return to the field would eat into Jones' playing time, but fantasy managers can worry about that when it happens. The Vikings head into a bye, so we'll see what the backfield situation looks like ahead of the Week 7 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Aaron Jones Sr. Returns to Game After Knee Injury
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) has returned to Sunday's Week 5 game against the New Orleans Saints, according to Dane Mizutani. Jones was initially questionable to return after spending an extended period in the blue medical tent. He had carried seven times for 28 yards and caught one pass for one yard before leaving the contest. The veteran was back on the field for Minnesota's next offensive possession after undergoing evaluation.
Source: Dane Mizutani
Source: Dane Mizutani
Aaron Jones Sr. Questionable to Return With Knee Injury
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) is questionable to return to Sunday's Week 5 game against the New Orleans Saints, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. Jones spent an extended period in the blue medical tent before Minnesota announced his injury designation. He also briefly exited the Week 2 matchup against Chicago with a knee issue but returned to finish with 23 carries for 105 yards. Jordan Mason (thumb) remains on injured reserve, leaving DeeJay Dallas and rookie Demond Claiborne as Minnesota's other available running backs.
Source: Kevin Seifert
Source: Kevin Seifert
Jordan Mason Expected to Return in Week 7
Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason (thumb), who is on Injured Reserve with a fractured thumb, is expected to return after the team's Week 6 bye, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. With Mason injured in recent weeks, Aaron Jones Sr. has handled 72 carries through four games, seven more than his previous high of 65 in 2020. The total is almost double his previous nine-year average. Minnesota has had limited options in their backfield since Mason's injury, and they have been hesitant to put too much on rookie Demond Claiborne's plate. When Mason makes his return on Oct. 25 against the Indianapolis Colts, he is expected to take over the majority of the workload, so fantasy managers should expect Jones' workload to take a major hit soon. Mason handled 15 rushing attempts for 59 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening win over the division-rival Green Bay Packers before breaking his thumb. In shallow leagues, Mason might be available on your league's waiver wire. He is rostered in 67% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert
Source: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert
Another Excellent Matchup For Aaron Jones Sr. Against Saints
Since Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason (thumb) went down, running back Aaron Jones Sr. has delivered RB1 production, which should continue in a great matchup against New Orleans in Week 5. The veteran is the 18th overall PPR running back and now takes on a Saints run defense that has been a complete mess. New Orleans ranks in the bottom five in yards per attempt (30th), rushing touchdowns (32nd), rushing first downs allowed (29th), and overall scoring percentage (tied for 32nd). All told, the Saints have surrendered more points to fantasy running backs than any other team. With Mason still out and the Vikings unwilling to fully trust rookie Demond Claiborne, Jones is a no-doubt starter in almost every format. He's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 12 running back for Week 5.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Aaron Jones Sr. Handling Extremely High Volume with Ease
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. was seemingly phased out of a high-volume role last year, but he has bounced back as an every-down option out of the backfield this season. An early-season injury to Jordan Mason (hand) thrust Jones into the lead-back role, and he has averaged a whopping 23 touches per game in three weeks since then. He has been heavily featured on the ground, but he has also taken on an enormous role in the passing game with 14 targets over his last two contests. The 31-year-old is enjoying a volume-based career resurgence, putting him firmly back on the fantasy radar as an RB2 for as long as Mason remains sidelined. Jones will remain a borderline must-start in this week's game against the Saints before heading on to his bye week.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jordan Mason Remains Worthy Stash Option
Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason (hand) hasn't played since the season opener due to a fracture in his thumb. Mason underwent surgery and was placed on the Injured Reserve following their Week 1 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Getting placed on the IR means that Mason is forced to miss at least four games. The Week 4 matchup versus the Miami Dolphins will be his third absence in a row. Mason could be back in the mix as early as the Week 7 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. He'll likely see significant involvement in the backfield once he's healthy enough to play again. Given he could be only a few weeks away from playing again, Mason is worth stashing on an IR spot in most leagues where he's available.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Prime Conditions For Aaron Jones Sr. Against Miami
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. is facing what is likely to be his most favorable fantasy circumstances of the year when the Miami Dolphins visit U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday. The veteran not only has complete control of the backfield while backfield mate Jordan Mason (thumb) is on injured reserve, but he's now facing the 32nd-ranked defense against half-PPR running backs. The Vikings have certainly struggled themselves on offense, ranking dead last in yards gained, but Jones figures to get the lion's share of work against one of the NFL's worst teams. As quarterback Kyler Murray acclimates to a new offense, any semblance of a passing game should benefit Jones. He's RotoBaller's No. 14 running back in Week 4, making him a high-quality RB2 in most formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Aaron Jones Sr. Taking Control of Minnesota's Backfield
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. has seen his fantasy value climb quickly since Jordan Mason landed on injured reserve with a fractured thumb. Jones handled 23 carries for 105 yards in Week 2, then followed with 17 carries for 58 yards and five catches for 34 yards against Tampa Bay. That gives him 45 touches over the last two games after he opened the season with 12 carries. The Week 3 efficiency was modest, but the role was not. Jones also drew six targets after seeing no receiving work in the first two games, giving him another path to fantasy production while Mason remains sidelined. A knee issue limited Jones in practice last week, but he still handled 22 touches on Sunday. RotoBaller lists him as RB15 in its early Week 4 half-PPR rankings. Minnesota hosts Miami next, and Jones enters that matchup with a much clearer lead-back workload than he had at the start of the season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
DeeJay Dallas a Deep-League Handcuff to Add in Week 4
Minnesota Vikings running back DeeJay Dallas has some fantasy appeal in deeper leagues ahead of Week 4. Dallas is firmly entrenched in the No. 2 role behind Aaron Jones Sr. (knee), but therein lies a potential opportunity for the veteran ball-carrier to take on a bigger workload. Jones has struggled to stay fully healthy in the back half of his career, and Dallas would likely see the biggest bump in volume if Jones were to miss any time due to injury. Although he wouldn't have the backfield all to himself because Demond Claiborne would also rotate in, Dallas would be the biggest riser in this hypothetical scenario where Jones gets hurt while Jordan Mason (thumb) is still on injured reserve. Because of Dallas' handcuff status, the 28-year-old has some waiver wire appeal in very deep fantasy leagues ahead of Week 4.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Demond Claiborne a Short-Term Handcuff Option in Deep Leagues
Minnesota Vikings rookie running back Demond Claiborne was thrust into a bigger role when the team put Jordan Mason (thumb) on Injured Reserve last week. However, the Vikings have been hesitant to put too much on the sixth-rounder out of Wake Forest's plate early in his first season in the NFL, and that showed in the Vikings' Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 22-year-old only played three offensive snaps and had three rushing attempts for just one yard, while both Max Bredson and DeeJay Dallas out-snapped him behind starter Aaron Jones Sr. Claiborne's role could grow over the next couple of weeks, though, and Mason will miss at least three more games while on IR. In Claiborne's NFL debut in the Week 2 victory over the division-rival Chicago Bears, he had just one reception for a gain of two yards. At best, Claiborne is a short-term handcuff option for fantasy managers who have Jones rostered, but once Mason returns from his thumb injury, Claiborne will be buried on Minnesota's RB depth chart again. He is currently rostered in only 2% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Devin Neal Set to Sign with Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are signing running back Devin Neal, per Jordan Schultz of The Schultz Report. Neal appeared in 10 games (three starts) for the New Orleans Saints in 2025, recording 206 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 57 carries and hauling in 17 catches for 104 yards on 19 targets. With running back Jordan Mason (thumb) currently on Injured Reserve, Minnesota has been looking to flesh out its running back depth behind veteran back Aaron Jones Sr. Neal now joins DeeJay Dallas and Demond Claiborne as potential rotational backs for the Vikings. As long as Jones Sr. remains healthy, he will likely handle the majority of Minnesota's backfield work for as long as Mason is sidelined. Still, Neal could be worth a speculative add in deep fantasy leagues as a potential handcuff running back option.
Source: The Schultz Report - Jordan Schultz
Source: The Schultz Report - Jordan Schultz
Jerome Ford Could Get Involved for Vikings this Weekend
Skor North's Darren Wolfson thinks that Minnesota Vikings running back Jerome Ford could be more involved than people think in the Week 3 contest this Sunday against the hosting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Aaron Jones Sr. had 23 carries for over 100 rushing yards in the Week 2 win over the division-rival Chicago Bears with Jordan Mason (thumb) on Injured Reserve, but the veteran back came out of it with an injured knee and could be battling through more knee issues this weekend. The Vikings do not appear prepared to give too much work to rookie Demond Claiborne, so Ford could see more action than both Claiborne and DeeJay Dallas behind Jones. The 27-year-old Ford was not active for either of the first two games of the season for the Vikings, so he is merely a speculative waiver-wire addition right now in deep fantasy football leagues. In his four NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns, the former fifth-rounder has averaged 4.3 yards per carry with 1,463 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 57 games (18 starts).
Source: Skor North - Darren Wolfson
Source: Skor North - Darren Wolfson
Aaron Jones Sr. to Have "Limited Role" in Week 3?
Skor North's Darren Wolfson sees Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) "fighting through" his knee soreness to play on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and believes that Jones will have a "limited role" compared to the Week 2 win over the division-rival Chicago Bears. The 31-year-old veteran had 23 carries for 105 yards in the 9-3 victory, but he was not targeted in the passing game. "I'm not expecting even 15 touches if he's able to go on Sunday, to me, it's a very limited role. I'm looking at Jerome Ford. More than DeeJay Dallas, more than Demond Claiborne," Wolfson said. Jordan Mason (thumb) is on Injured Reserve and will miss three more games, so Minnesota's backfield depth will be tested early on. With Jones potentially limited on Sunday, Wolfson speculates that Jerome Ford may play more than rookie Demond Claiborne and DeeJay Dallas. Even though Mason is missing another game, Jones is shaping up as a very shaky RB2 for fantasy managers this weekend. Do not expect another 20-plus-carry game.
Source: Skor North - Darren Wolfson
Source: Skor North - Darren Wolfson
