One New Viking — Not THAT One — Forecasted as a Bust
Can’t please ’em all.
One New Viking — Not THAT One — Forecasted as a Bust
The Minnesota Vikings have oodles of newcomers to the 2024 roster, including about 15 veteran free agents and 24 rookies. But according to CBS Sports, one man is already on tap to pan out a “bust” — running back Aaron Jones.
CBS Sports’ Dave Ricard outlined possible busts for the upcoming season, and per his fantasy football analysis, Jones made the naughty list. “Why is he a bust? Jones has missed playing time in three of his past four seasons and will turn 30 this season. He’s much more of a quality RB to use in lineups to begin the year but not count on as a season-long starter because of issues related to playing time and perceived injury worries. While all this is true, I have to admit that he does offer potential as a lead back, just as he proved in December and January. Be careful drafting him if you choose to do so at all,” Ricard explained.
Minnesota cut ties with 2023 RB1 Alexander Mattison before free agency, paving the way for Jones. The former Green Bay Packer will be joined in the backfield this season by Ty Chandler, a 26-year-old running back who played quite well in December and January. Perhaps once and for all, the Vikings can fix their ground game woes that have persisted since the start of 2022.
Ricard added about Jones’ bust potential, “With Kevin O’Connell as head coach, the best Vikings running back for Fantasy was Dalvin Cook in 2022 with 14 PPR points and 17.8 touches per game, and Alexander Mattison in 2023 with 8.3 PPR points and 13.1 touches per game. The Vikings have been among the most pass-heavy offenses in football with O’Connell.”
Indeed, Minnesota has struggled to run the ball efficiently in back-to-back seasons. In fact, the club ranked 27th per rushing DVOA in 2022, vowed to fix the problem, and ranked 27th per the same metric again in 2023. The rushing attack might’ve even regressed from 2022 to 2023.
Richard forecasted 646 rushing yards for Jones, which would be a huge letdown. Tabulating such a small total would either mean that Jones got injured — he has a history of that — or the aforementioned Chandler stole his job.
Ricard mentioned more would-be busts, including Miami Dolphins RB Devon Achane, WR Zay Flowers of the Baltimore Ravens, and Keenan Allen from the Chicago Bears, among others.
The Vikings’ first regular season game is 17 weeks away.
Former Viking Calls It Quits
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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