JordanMason

News: 2 days agoCoach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that Mason has a small fracture in his thumb that underwent surgery, and the running back will be placed on injured reserve, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Spin: Mason emerged from the Vikings' Week 1 win against the Packers with a sore thumb, but the severity of the issue didn't become clear until O'Connell spoke to the media Wednesday. With Mason out for at least the next four games, Aaron Jones is set to lead the Vikings backfield for the foreseeable future, with Demond Claiborne, DeeJay Dallas and practice-squad member Jerome Ford all candidates for reps that don't go to Jones.

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.