Jordan Mason 2026 Fantasy Football Outlook: Emerging As a Mid-Round Value With Strong Training Camp In An Improved Vikings Offense 9mLink copied!

Aug 15, 2026, 6:40 AM ET

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason is expected to be in a timeshare with backfield teammate Aaron Jones Sr. However, Jones' advanced age and injury-prone nature could create more opportunity for Mason. The 27-year-old rushed for 758 yards and six touchdowns on 159 rushing attempts, while catching 14 passes for 51 yards in 16 games for Minnesota last season. He was efficient on the ground, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. However, outside of one game in Week 3 against the Bengals, Mason failed to take the starting job from Jones despite plenty of opportunity. The Vikings drafted rookie Demond Claiborne to compete for the backup job. Mason lacks pass-catching upside and averaged under four yards per carry aside from Week 3 in games where he had 10 or more carries. According to Jason Harmon of Sports Illustrated, Mason is having a strong camp, showcasing a level of speed we've rarely seen from his runs up the gut. "It seems clear that Mason is a beneficiary of Frank Smith's newly implemented outside zone scheme." Mason will handle most of the work between the tackles while Jones handles the majority of the work and most of the pass-catching downs. The drafting of Claiborne makes the Vikings backfield crowded, but Mason should get enough touches to make a difference. Minnesota named Kyler Murray as the team's starting quarterback over J.J. McCarthy, which should help the Vikings offense as a whole. The former San Francisco 49er is RotoBaller's RB38 and is a great value at his current Yahoo Fantasy ADP of 128.--John Johnson