Vikings RB Jordan Mason (ankle) is out for Thursday's game vs. the Lions. RB Aaron Jones (ankle) was limited in practice all week but is not listed on the final injury report. He probably won't be at 100% but figures to serve as Minnesota's clear lead back on Christmas. Jones lands 20th in the Week 17 RB rankings.

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson (back) is out for Thursday's game vs. the Lions. He didn't practice all week, and it's possible we don't see him in Week 18 either. Hockenson's absence leaves Josh Oliver as Minnesota's likely lead TE. He's only in play in Thursday daily contests.

Vikings RB Jordan Mason (ankle) did not practice on Tuesday. He never returned to last week's game vs. the Giants after going down on the first possession and seems unlikely to play vs. the Lions on Thursday. RB Aaron Jones, who also suffered an ankle injury on that opening possession, returned to the game and was limited on Tuesday. He should be ready to lead the backfield on Christmas.

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy has a hairline fracture in his right hand and is out for Thursday's game vs. the Lions, HC Kevin O'Connell said Tuesday. We imagine that McCarthy will also miss the season finale, but we'll keep you updated on his status. McCarthy's absence on Christmas puts QB Max Brosmer back under center. He threw for 126 yards, 0 TDs, and 4 INTs in a Week 13 loss in Seattle. The spot on Thursday -- at home for Detroit's 26th-ranked QB defense -- is much better. But Brosmer isn't even a recommended QB2 start and adds a ton of risk to Minnesota's skill-position players.

Vikings RB Aaron Jones logged a season-high 21 carries in Minnesota's 16-13 Week 16 win over the Giants. Jones, who briefly exited the game in the first quarter with a minor ankle injury, also had his highest rushing total (85) and snap count (39) of the 2025 season. No. 2 RB Jordan Mason, who had a 47% snap share and 51% rush share heading into Week 16, was carted off the field in the second quarter with an ankle injury and quickly ruled out. With Mason absent, Jones' expanded workload resulted in him surpassing double-digit fantasy points for the first time since Week 11.

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy's right hand is not broken, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune's Ben Goessling. McCarthy is set for further testing on the hand tomorrow, per Goessling. We should learn more over the next 24 hours, but we'd still consider McCarthy very uncertain for Thursday's game vs. the Lions considering it's his throwing hand. McCarthy's absence would put QB Max Brosmer back under center for Minnesota.

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy is out for the second half of Sunday's game vs. the Giants with a right hand injury. He was presumably hurt when he took a big hit on a sack-fumble at the end of the second quarter. QB Max Brosmer will finish out this game for Minnesota. We'll keep you updated on McCarthy's status.

Vikings RBs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason both suffered ankle injuries on the first possession of the game and are questionable to return. That leaves Zavier Scott as Minnesota's top RB. We'll update the situation when we know more.

Update: Jones returned in the second quarter, but Mason has been ruled out.

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson (shin) is not listed on the final injury report for Sunday night's game vs. the Cowboys. He was sidelined on Wednesday but took part in the final two practices of the week. Hockenson remains a low-upside TE2 in Week 15 fantasy lineups.

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson (shin) did not practice on Wednesday. We'll keep tabs on his status for Sunday night's game vs. the Cowboys, but Hockenson shouldn't be in your Week 15 fantasy plans. He's averaged just 4.2 targets, 3.4 catches, and 27 yards over his last five games.

The Vikings may have shut out the Commanders 31-0, but star WR Justin Jefferson made minimal impact on the Vikings' win. Jefferson caught two of four targets for 11 yards -- his third game in a row with fewer than 9 PPR points. Jefferson is now averaging 12.1 PPR points per game, by far the lowest of his career. A first-round pick in most fantasy drafts, the question now is, can we even afford to start Jefferson during the fantasy playoffs?

Vikings RB Aaron Jones (shoulder) was limited in practice all week but is not listed on the final injury report. The shoulder adds some risk, but Jones should continue to operate as Minnesota’s lead back in Sunday’s plus matchup vs. the Commanders’ 25th-ranked RB defense.

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy (concussion) put in a full week of practice and is off the final injury report. He’ll start Sunday’s game vs. the Commanders’ 30th-ranked QB defense. Despite the plus matchup, McCarthy hasn’t done nearly enough to be considered more than a low-end QB2 in fantasy lineups.

Vikings RB Aaron Jones (shoulder) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. He's seemingly gearing up to play vs. the Commanders this weekend, but we'll keep tabs on his status over the next few days. A healthy Jones has operated as Minnesota's clear lead back lately, so he'll be the best fantasy bet in this backfield if he suits up. But this shoulder injury will add risk to his fantasy profile.

Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Monday that QB J.J. McCarthy is symptom-free and expected to clear concussion protocol on Wednesday. Barring a setback, he'll be under center for this weekend's game vs. the Commanders. QB Max Brosmer was predictably a disaster in Seattle yesterday, averaging 4.2 yards per attempt with four INTs on 30 passes. So we can't call McCarthy's return bad news for the offense, but this remains a unit to have very little faith in. The matchup is at least good against a Commanders team sitting 30th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs and 26th vs. WRs.

The Vikings do not believe the shoulder injury that knocked RB Aaron Jones from Sunday's game vs. the Seahawks is serious, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. "He is likely to be considered day-to-day," Schefter adds. It sounds like Jones has a chance to play vs. the Commanders this weekend, but we'll keep a close eye on his status. Jones' absence would Jordan Mason into a fantasy RB2. He averaged 15.0 carries, 1.8 targets, and 75.3 total yards in the four games Jones missed earlier this season.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson was limited to 4 yards on 2 catches in Sunday's loss at Seattle. Jefferson’s now managed only one TD over his past 11 outings.

Vikings RB Aaron Jones suffered a left shoulder injury in the third quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Seahawks and is questionable to return. Jones took a big hit and was in obvious pain on the sidelines, so we don't expect to see him back out there. We'll update his status when we know more. Jordan Mason will take over as Minnesota's lead back.

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy (concussion) is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Seahawks. He got in limited practices this week, so there’s a good chance he’s cleared for Week 14. Undrafted rookie QB Max Brosmer makes his first career start in a brutal spot on the road against a tough Seattle defense. He’s obviously not a fantasy option – although it’s tough to imagine Brosmer being worse for Minnesota’s skill-position players than McCarthy.

Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said QB J.J. McCarthy has progressed enough through the concussion protocol to be a limited participant in Wednesday's practice. He'll take part in individual drills, but QB Max Brosmer will get the first-team reps. We're still projecting Brosmer to start Sunday's game vs. the Seahawks, but we'll keep an eye on McCarthy's status. You're avoiding this situation in all fantasy leagues.