Who Should I Start? Jermar Jefferson or Jordan Mason

Tuesday, December 31, 9:23 AM

Detroit Lions running back Jermar Jefferson was given just three attempts during their victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday evening. However, all three attempts were within the San Francisco ten-yard line. With David Montgomery (knee) sidelined, Jahmyr Gibbs has been deployed as the workhorse option in this backfield, but with the Lions having little to play for regarding their position in the standings, they opted to give Gibbs occasional rest on Monday evening. While Gibbs still finished the game with 18 attempts and four targets, he would have likely been given this goal line work in a must-win situation. Instead, Jefferson was given some high-value touches but could not punch in any of them as he finished with just nine total yards. In addition, Jefferson saw four fewer carries than the presumed No.2 option, Craig Reynolds. Fantasy managers should expect Gibbs to take on a three-down role during Week 18 and throughout the entire postseason, leaving just a handful of attempts for Jefferson and Reynolds.

Tuesday, July 29, 11:22 AM

The Minnesota Vikings made a sizable investment in running back Jordan Mason by signing him to a two-year contract worth $10.5 million this past offseason. According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, Mason's playing time split with incumbent running back Aaron Jones will be "much closer" to 50-50 than previous RB1/RB2 splits in Minnesota under head coach Kevin O'Connell. In 12 games for the San Francisco 49ers last season, Mason logged 153 carries for 789 yards and three touchdowns. He wasn't utilized much as a receiver (11 catches), but Vikings offensive coordinator reportedly referred to him as a "natural catching the ball." If Minnesota views Mason as a three-down back, he could be in a fairly even time share with the 30-year-old Jones, whom O'Connell has spoken openly about reducing the workload for. Now might be the time for fantasy managers to invest in Mason, as more buzz about his usage could send him rocketing up draft boards.