Who Should I Start? Jordan Mason or Braelon Allen

Wednesday, June 4, 12:51 PM

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason (ankle) is taking part in voluntary organized team activities this offseason. Mason missed the last five games of the 2024 season due to a high-ankle sprain, but he's back on the field in early June and should be completely healthy and ready to go for Week 1 in his first season with Minnesota. The 26-year-old had a breakout season with Christian McCaffrey missing most of the year with injuries, as he finished with 153 carries for 789 yards and three touchdowns while adding 11 catches for 91 yards in 12 games (six starts). Mason isn't going to have the kind of workload he did in San Fran with CMC injured, but the Vikings want to spell starter Aaron Jones more to keep him fresh, which is where Mason comes in. RB3/flex value seems plausible, especially if Mason is the Vikes' preferred goal-line option.

Monday, July 14, 6:09 PM

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen will "have plenty of opportunities in 2025 to make his mark and prove he can be the long-term starter with (current starter Breece) Hall in the last year of his contract," according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Rosenblatt notes that Jets' first-year head coach Aaron Glenn and play caller Tanner Engstrand would like to emulate the two-back model that was so successful in their last stop with the Detroit Lions. Allen was the clear RB2 behind Breece Hall last season, earning 92 carries for 334 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games played. A more even timeshare with Hall would be a highly fantasy-relevant development in the Jets backfield. That's especially true if Allen, as the larger back, gets more of the team's work around the goal line.