Who Should I Start? Jordan Mason or Brian Robinson Jr.

Monday, October 20, 10:30 PM

Running back Jordan Mason has had the run of the Minnesota Vikings backfield in the past few weeks, but his workload will be worth monitoring as Aaron Jones (hamstring) is now eligible to come off injured reserve. The Vikings initially were targeting Week 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers, a Thursday night game, to bring back Jones, but so far, have not officially activated him. Mason has been decent if not great in Jones' absence, but it's worth noting that four of five starters on the offensive line have been impacted by injuries and starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy has missed four straight games. Mason may have another week in the lead role, but Jones is likely to play a factor when he returns.

Tuesday, October 21, 1:02 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr. had his most productive game since Week 1 on Sunday night. San Francisco leaned heavily on their rushing attack in their Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons, allowing Robinson nine carries, tying his season high. Robinson also hit new highs in rushing yards (36) and snap share (26%). His on-field involvement in Week 7 is significant. In Weeks 1 and 2, he had shares of 24% and 23%, respectively, but his rate fluctuated between 7% and 15% in the games since then. Robinson's rebound in usage in Week 7 might be an indicator that the team is realizing they need to do better at divying up the backfield workload to take pressure off Christian McCaffrey. Robinson is not producing enough in his change-of-pace role to start in fantasy football, but he is one of the more valuable handcuffs in the league.