Aaron Jones Sr. DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

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 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.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) was listed as a non-participant in the team's first practice of the week on Wednesday, but he said he hopes to return to practice on Thursday. Jones said he felt his right hip bothering him before the Week 5 win over the New York Jets in London and it flared up on him during the game. Since then (the Vikings had a bye in Week 6), he's been receiving around-the-clock treatment and seems to be in good spirits as the team prepares for a Week 7 divisional showdown against the Detroit Lions this Sunday. The 29-year-old should be considered questionable for this weekend after being pulled from the London game with his hip injury, and now he's being listed with a hamstring ailment. With Jones injured, Minnesota traded for Cam Akers on Tuesday. Both Akers and Ty Chandler could split the backfield if Jones isn't cleared for Week 7.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (hip) was seen on the practice field on Monday, which was a light bonus session for the team coming out of their bye week. ESPN's Kevin Seifert doesn't think that Jones is a lock to play in Week 7 versus the division-rival Detroit Lions. The Vikings essentially got a stretch in on Monday, so we won't have a better idea on the 29-year-old's Week 7 status until the team officially resumes practicing on Wednesday. Either way, fantasy managers may not be getting Jones back despite having the bye week to rest up. If Jones doesn't make enough progress in practice to play this weekend, the undefeated Vikings will move forward with Ty Chandler most likely seeing the lion's share of the backfield touches. Myles Gaskin would serve as the change-of-pace backup. Chandler is currently rostered in only 28% of Yahoo leagues and could be a nice waiver-wire pickup for those in need of a RB.

Minnesota Viking running back Aaron Jones (hip) appears to have avoided a long-term injury after being hurt in the Week 5 win over the New York Jets in London on Sunday, according to head coach Kevin O'Connell. When asked about Jones, O'Connell said he "continues to be evaluated, but all the early information we've got so far, it looks like we've avoided a long-term injury. I'd classify him as week-to-week at this point." It's good timing for Jones, as the Vikings are on bye in Week 6. However, Jones won't be a lock to return coming out of the bye in a Week 7 divisional contest against the Detroit Lions, so we'll keep a close eye on his status during practice that week. If Jones is forced to miss any time coming out of the bye, Ty Chandler would be forced into lead-back duties for the undefeated Vikings.