JordanMason

News: 2 days agoMason rushed eight times for 20 yards in the Vikings' 19-15 loss to the Lions on Sunday.

Spin: Playing in his second game since returning from an IR stint due to a thumb injury, Mason paced the Vikings' ground attack in carries but finished two yards behind Aaron Jones, who logged five totes. Mason also wasn't targeted for the second time in three games, and Minnesota's running game figures to continue in a fantasy-averse timeshare between the two. Mason will look to make inroads against what has been an improved Bills run defense in a Week 9 home showdown on Monday night, Nov. 9.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Mason is back for his second season in Minnesota and will battle 31-year-old Aaron Jones Sr. for backfield opportunities. Mason's role was almost exactly as expected last season, as he was utilized often as a rusher (9.9 carries per game), but a nonfactor as a receiver (1.0 targets per game). Mason reached 13 fantasy points just once in his 16 games and it was a 23.6-point effort in Week 3, one of five games Jones missed. Mason, 27, is an effective rusher -- his 5.10 YPC ranks third and his 2.42 YAC second among 54 RBs with 350-plus carries since he entered the league -- but adding so little as a receiver (34 career targets) severely limits his fantasy output. Even if Jones were to miss time, Mason would max out as a flex.