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DraftKings Network recommends Aaron Jones over Jordan Mason for Minnesota’s Week 9 Monday night matchup with Buffalo. The report points to Jones’ receiving role as a better fit against a Bills defense that has allowed frequent catches and targets to running backs, while noting Minnesota’s backfield split and limited scoring opportunities make both players risky.
Aaron Jones is the preferred fantasy start over Jordan Mason for Minnesota’s Week 9 game against Buffalo, according to a DraftKings Network analysis published November 9. The recommendation rests on Jones’ established receiving role and the Bills’ reported tendency to allow running backs targets and receptions, while the Vikings’ split backfield and low scoring output leave both players with substantial risk.
The two backs have shared Minnesota’s workload since Mason signed a $10.5 million contract in summer 2025, but injuries and changing availability have made the arrangement difficult to assess. In the Vikings’ season opener against Green Bay, their snap shares were nearly even: Jones played 46.2% of offensive snaps and Mason 44.6%. Each had double-digit carries, four red-zone carries and a touchdown in that game, according to the report.
The pattern has since been disrupted. Mason missed time after a thumb injury in Week 1 and returned in Week 7 after Minnesota’s bye. Jones left that return game against Indianapolis with a knee injury, finishing with a season-low 25.4% snap share. Both backs played in the subsequent loss to Detroit, but DeeJay Dallas took 32.1% of the snaps, recording one carry for four yards. The analysis says Dallas’ presence could further divide an already limited workload.
DraftKings Network’s case for Jones is based less on rushing production than on the matchup’s receiving dimension. The report says Buffalo has allowed 8.7 running-back targets per game, the most in the league, and 6.0 running-back receptions per game, the second most. Jones has demonstrated receiving ability over his NFL career; Mason, the report says, has not recorded a catch this season. It rates Jones a high-end RB3 in season-long formats and favors him in the full-point PPR DraftKings Showdown contest, where his salary is $600 higher than Mason’s.
Receiving Work Favors Jones
The distinction matters for fantasy managers choosing between two players who may split carries. If the Vikings trail Buffalo or deliberately target the defense’s reported weakness against running-back catches, Jones could add value through receptions even if neither back controls the rushing workload. That gives him a clearer route to points in full-point PPR formats than Mason, based on the source’s account of their receiving production.
The recommendation is not a guarantee of a strong result. Minnesota’s offense has had limited volume and scoring chances, so a committee split can leave both backs short of dependable fantasy production. DraftKings Network describes the Vikings as a low-confidence offense and treats Jones as a lower-end starting option, rather than a must-start player. Managers weighing him against stronger options should account for that limited ceiling.
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Minnesota’s Backfield Has Shifted
The Week 1 split offers a snapshot of how Minnesota used the pair when both were available, but it does not settle their current roles. Mason’s absence after his thumb injury and Jones’ knee issue upon Mason’s return interrupted the committee. The Lions game added another variable when Dallas played a larger share of snaps after rejoining the active roster. Recent usage is therefore not a clean measure of how the Vikings plan to divide work against Buffalo.
The offense’s overall output also shapes the decision. The DraftKings Network report lists Minnesota at 59.0 plays and 20.0 points per game, and 2.3 red-zone scoring attempts per game, which it describes as last in the league. It also says Buffalo has limited individual opponents—including Jahmyr Gibbs, Derrick Henry and Kyren Williams—to fewer than 60 rushing yards. The report argues that the Bills’ broader fantasy points allowed to running backs are driven more by touchdowns and receiving production than by large rushing totals.
Workload and Health Questions
The source does not establish how Minnesota will divide carries and snaps in Week 9, or whether Dallas will again take a meaningful share. Both Jones and Mason were described as available for the game, but the article does not provide a fresh injury report, expected snap projections or a coach’s statement confirming a pecking order. The Week 1 split is only one data point, and the later games were affected by injuries and absences.
The matchup statistics and fantasy rankings are the analysis’s cited basis for its recommendation, not a guarantee of game outcomes. It is also unclear whether Minnesota will specifically target Buffalo’s weakness against running-back receptions or whether that opportunity would arise mainly if the Vikings fall behind. Jones’ advantage depends in part on that receiving work materializing.
Check Final Lineups and Usage
The immediate decision is whether to start Jones, Mason or another available running back in Week 9 lineups before kickoff. Managers should check the Vikings’ final status updates and inactive list for any change to either back’s availability, then weigh the expected reception opportunity against Minnesota’s uncertain workload split. For full-point PPR, the source favors Jones; in formats that place less value on catches, the gap may be narrower.
After Monday night’s game, the Vikings’ snap shares, carries and targets should offer a clearer indication of how the committee looks when both Jones and Mason are active. Until then, the source’s recommendation is a matchup-based lean toward Jones—not confirmation that he will receive most of the backfield’s work.
Key Questions
Should I start Aaron Jones or Jordan Mason in Week 9?
The DraftKings Network analysis recommends Aaron Jones, particularly in full-point PPR, because it sees a stronger receiving matchup for him against Buffalo.
Is Aaron Jones expected to lead Minnesota’s backfield?
The source does not confirm that Jones will lead in carries or snaps. Their Week 1 usage was nearly even, and injuries and Dallas’ involvement have complicated the backfield picture.
Why does the Bills matchup favor Jones?
The report says Buffalo has allowed 8.7 running-back targets and 6.0 running-back receptions per game. It argues Jones’ receiving experience gives him a better chance to benefit from that tendency.
Is Jordan Mason a safe fantasy start?
No firm role or workload is confirmed in the source. Mason remains part of a committee, and the report says he has not recorded a catch this season, limiting the receiving-based case for him in PPR.
What should fantasy managers check before kickoff?
Check the Vikings’ final injury updates and inactive list, then consider scoring format and the possibility that DeeJay Dallas takes snaps. The source’s preference for Jones is a matchup-based recommendation, not a guaranteed workload projection.
Source: dknetwork.draftkings.com
