Aaron Jones: Vikings lead back with Jordan Mason on IR

THE FACT. Jones is Minnesota's lead running back after the Vikings placed Jordan Mason on injured reserve with a thumb injury suffered in Week 1, a move the team announced Wednesday that sidelines Mason at least four games, per reports Thursday morning from Last Word on Sports and MinnesotaSportsFan. Rookie Demond Claiborne is the other running back on the active roster.

THE VERDICT. Waiver Wire: add Jones immediately if he is somehow still out there, and bid up to 25% FAAB in a 12-team league. Redraft: start him as an RB2 while Mason is out, because he inherits early-down and passing-down work in an offense that analyst Hayden Winks pointed out ranked second in the league in neutral pass rate in Week 1. That is a volume profile worth paying for over a four-game stretch. Dynasty: treat this as a short-term bump, not a value change, and sell if a contender overpays. DFS: a reasonable mid-priced play, though goal-line usage is the open question until we see it.