Start Aaron Jones Sr. or Kenny Gainwell? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Aaron Jones Sr. over Kenny Gainwell in Week 1.

Aaron Jones Sr. is priced by the books at 2.6 projected points. Kenny Gainwell has no player market posted for this week, so his side of this call rests on consensus ADP and the news wire only. Drafters take Aaron Jones Sr. at ADP 91 and Kenny Gainwell at 100. Market coverage on Aaron Jones Sr. is 33 percent of what his position needs, so the market side of this carries proportionally less weight.

What the books imply

Player prop markets imply 2.6 fantasy points for Aaron Jones Sr., with 33 percent of the markets a RB needs posted.

No sportsbook posted a player market for Kenny Gainwell in Week 1.

Week 1 matchups

Aaron Jones Sr. and MIN host GB on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

GB allowed 23.0 fantasy points to RBs in its one game this season, the 16th fewest in the league.

Running backs ran for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns against GB and caught passes for 1 more yards.

Kenny Gainwell and TB visit CIN.

CIN allowed 23.1 fantasy points to RBs in its one game this season, the 16th most in the league.

Running backs ran for 60 yards and a touchdown against CIN and caught passes for 51 more yards.

By points allowed to the position, Kenny Gainwell has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Aaron Jones Sr. was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Kenny Gainwell was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Aaron Jones Sr. played 12 games for MIN and scored 118.7 PPR points, 9.9 a game, finishing RB41.

He ran 132 times for 548 yards and 2 touchdowns, and caught 28 of 41 targets for 199 yards.

He was on the field for 55 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Aaron Jones Sr., Week 17 of 2025 against DET: 35 of 54 snaps, 18 carries for 53 yards, 4 targets and 3 catches for 10 yards, 1 touchdown, 15.3 PPR points.

Aaron Jones Sr., Week 16 of 2025 against NYG: 39 of 61 snaps, 21 carries for 85 yards, 3 targets and 2 catches for 8 yards, 11.3 PPR points.

Aaron Jones Sr., Week 15 of 2025 against DAL: 32 of 55 snaps, 12 carries for 34 yards, 3 targets and 3 catches for 31 yards, 9.5 PPR points.

In 2025, Kenny Gainwell played 17 games for PIT and scored 222.3 PPR points, 13.1 a game, finishing RB16.

He ran 114 times for 537 yards and 5 touchdowns, and caught 73 of 85 targets for 486 yards.

He was on the field for 49 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Kenny Gainwell, Week 18 of 2025 against BAL: 5 carries for 10 yards, 9 targets and 8 catches for 64 yards, 1 touchdown, 21.4 PPR points.

Kenny Gainwell, Week 17 of 2025 against CLE: 45 of 66 snaps, 7 carries for 26 yards, 4 targets and 3 catches for 12 yards, 6.8 PPR points.

Kenny Gainwell, Week 16 of 2025 against DET: 40 of 74 snaps, 9 carries for 50 yards, 7 targets and 5 catches for 78 yards, 1 touchdown, 23.8 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

Aaron Jones Sr. scored 10.0 PPR points and Kenny Gainwell scored 2.8.

The call was right: Aaron Jones Sr. outscored Kenny Gainwell by 7.2.

Aaron Jones Sr. finished 7.4 points above the 2.6 the props implied.

Aaron Jones Sr., Week 1 against GB: 30 of 65 snaps, 12 carries for 40 yards, 1 target and 0 catches for 0 yards, 1 touchdown, 10.0 PPR points.

Aaron Jones Sr. finished as the week's RB26 in PPR scoring.

Kenny Gainwell, Week 1 against CIN: 26 of 57 snaps, 5 carries for 15 yards, 1 target and 1 catch for 3 yards, 2.8 PPR points.

Kenny Gainwell finished as the week's RB61 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Chuba Hubbard over Aaron Jones Sr..
• Start Aaron Jones Sr. over Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
• Start J.K. Dobbins over Aaron Jones Sr..
• Start Aaron Jones Sr. over Kenny Gainwell.
• Start Chuba Hubbard over Kenny Gainwell.
• Start Jadarian Price over Kenny Gainwell.