Minnesota Vikings DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) is officially listed as questionable to suit up this Sunday for his 2024 debut in Week 7 against the division-rival Detroit Lions. Hockenson said earlier this week he still doesn't have a set date for when he expects to come off Injured Reserve to make his season debut, so it seems unlikely that the Vikings will have him return this Sunday. The 27-year-old returned to practice two weeks ago as he continues to rehab ACL and MCL tears in his knee. In the event Hockenson was activated to play against the Lions, he'd almost certainly be eased in and therefore would be a very volatile fantasy play. With that said, Hockenson needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats, as he has the ability to be a weekly TE1 play when all is said and done in 2024.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) was officially listed as questionable to play in Week 7 against the division-rival Detroit Lions on Sunday. Jones did not practice on Wednesday but was limited on Thursday and Friday and is reportedly likely to suit up for the big divisional clash despite the questionable tag. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Sunday morning to see that Jones is officially active before locking him into lineups. The 29-year-old luckily had the Week 6 bye to heal up and should be ready to roll on Sunday. If for some reason he isn't or is limited with his workload, the Vikings have both Ty Chandler and Cam Akers that could see more work out of the backfield. Jones will be more of a shaky RB3/flex this weekend if he plays. He enters Week 7 averaging 12.7 fantasy points per game, good for 15th among all RBs.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) returned to practice on Thursday and is now trending towards playing in Week 7. According to Ian Rapoport, his hamstring seems like it's in a good place and he's likely to take the field against the Detroit Lions. Despite leaving their Week 5 matchup early and being on bye in Week 6, Jones is still the RB17 in half-PPR formats. If he's able to play, he'll go up against one of the toughest defenses against the run. The Lions did just lose Aidan Hutchinson for the season though, so the Vikings run game may be able to find some holes.

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee), who was limited in practice for the second straight day this week on Thursday, said he has "passed every test by a mile" from a medical standpoint. Hockenson's knee is healed, but he has no predictions on when he'll make his 2024 debut. The likeliest targets are in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night or in Week 9 versus the Indianapolis Colts. The 27-year-old is making progress, but the Vikings aren't going to rush him back too soon. Hockenson must be rostered in all fantasy leagues, as he has the potential to be an immediate TE1 contributor when he returns to the field. However, those expecting him to return this Sunday against the division-rival Detroit Lions will most likely be disappointed.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) returned to practice, according to Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to the injury report later Thursday afternoon as it should provide clarity on Jones' level of participation during the session. Nonetheless, seeing him back on the field after not participating on Wednesday is a good sign. The Vikings were off last week, which gave Jones additional time to recover after sustaining an injury in their Week 5 victory over the New York Jets. If Jones can suit up, he should be locked into all lineups as a solid RB2. If not, Ty Chandler and Cam Akers should split the opportunities, and both could be low-end flex options facing a tough Detroit defense.UPDATE: Jones was officially limited on Thursday.