We are proud to be among the first, if not the first, to publish full projections for the upcoming season, going live just days after the Super Bowl. Publishing detailed projections in early February comes with trade-offs, not the least of which is a near-total lack of clarity on how free agency, cap transactions, and the NFL draft will reshape rosters.
We've been updating our projections in near real time, including during the recent onslaught of free-agent transactions. This version will remain largely stable until we can layer in the April NFL draft, but stable projections don't mean settled debates.
We have a staff of sharp analysts with sharp takes of their own, so I thought it would be worthwhile to solicit their views on the key coin-toss situations that will shape each team's outlook in the coming months. These are important questions where reasonable, informed people can credibly land in very different places. I asked my colleagues to weigh in with one assumption: they were answering strictly through the lens of a standard 0.5-PPR redraft league.
Minnesota Vikings Coin-Toss Questions
- Is Murray a Fantasy Starter?
- How Will Jones and Mason Split Touches?
- Can Hockenson Be Fantasy-Relevant This Year?
- Will Jefferson Be Elite with Murray at Quarterback?
- Is Addison a Fantasy Starter?
The Vikings brought back Aaron Jones Sr. on a reduced deal. Do you expect a similar split between Jordan Mason and Jones this year versus last season?
Maurile Tremblay: The split should tilt more heavily toward Mason in 2026 than it did last season. Jones is turning 31 and coming off a hamstring injury that cost him five games on injured reserve in 2025. Meanwhile, Mason was the engine behind Minnesota's best rushing DVOA finish since 2022. Mason should be viewed as the lead back who should get the majority of early-down work. Jones still has value on passing downs — he is an excellent receiver and pass protector — but that won't earn him anything close to an even split. Mason should get something like 60-65% of the rushing work, with Jones getting most of his snaps on third downs and two-minute situations.
Meng Song: Probably, yes. The run game wasn't the issue last year.
Andy Hicks: If I were a Vikings fan, I would want a better option than these two in the backfield. Both are perfectly adequate as complementary backs for 2026. Jones will turn 32 this season, while Mason has yet to prove he can handle a sustained workload. When both are available, Jones is the lead back. Mason went from over 12 carries a game when Jones was injured to below eight carries a game when he returned. Jones is the better receiving back. Both backs have a high yards-per-carry figure, but they will not get the touches required to be starting fantasy backs. If a third back enters the picture, they become even less valuable. The only way either becomes anything other than a fantasy depth piece is if the other is injured.
Jeff Haseley: I expect it to be more of a 60/40 split in favor of Jordan Mason. Aaron Jones Sr. is another year older and coming back on a reduced deal — he's the veteran presence, but Mason has the fresh legs the Vikings need for a full season. If there is one Vikings running back I am targeting at ADP, it's Mason.
