Demond Claiborne Fantasy Overview

Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that RB Aaron Jones won't practice on Wednesday and is uncertain for this weekend's game vs. the Buccaneers. Jones told the media that he injured his knee in the Week 2 win over the Bears and finished the game with a brace on that knee. We'll keep a close eye on his status over the next few days. With RB Jordan Mason on IR, Jones' absence would leave Minnesota's backfield to DeeJay Dallas and Demond Claiborne. Dallas out-snapped Claiborne 8 to 2 against Chicago. Six of Dallas' snaps came on passing plays, while both of Claiborn's snaps were pass routes. Dallas finished with 2 carries and 1 catch; Claiborne 0 carries and 1 catch. Neither guy is an exciting waiver add.

Vikings RB Aaron Jones handled a workhorse rushing role with Jordan Mason sidelined, turning 23 carries into 105 yards. Jones also led the backfield with a 46% route rate, although he failed to draw a target on Carson Wentz’s 20 pass attempts.

The Vikings placed RB Jordan Mason on IR with a thumb injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. This one comes out of nowhere. Mason finished the Week 1 win over the Packers, and there was no report of an injury afterward. He's now out for at least the next four games. We'll see about his availability beyond that.

Update: HC Kevin O'Connell said Mason had surgery to fix a "small fracture" in his thumb and is expected back after 4 weeks.

The Minnesota Vikings selected Wake Forest RB Demond Claiborne in Round 6 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Claiborne spent three years leading the Wake Forest backfield, stacking good production despite a middling offense. That included 1,956 rushing yards, 21 TDs, and 51 receptions over his final two years. He even squeezed out a career-best 5.1 yards per carry in 2025 after suffering a rib injury in the opener. Claiborne brings legit juice. His 42.5% breakaway rate, per Pro Football Focus, underscores how often he delivered runs of 15+ yards. Among the 20 RBs invited to the NFL Combine, Claiborne ranked sixth in 2025 rushing market share (48.1%), and 14th in yards after contact per attempt (3.04). He ranked 10th in 2025 missed tackles forced per attempt (0.21) and 17th in receiving yards per route run (0.66). He is currently 22 years old.