Who Should I Start? Jordan Mason or Isiah Pacheco

Friday, November 7, 6:14 PM

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason faces a friendly matchup against a Baltimore Ravens team that has struggled to stop the run for large portions of the year, but it remains to be seen how the Vikings will allocate carries in their backfield in Week 10. Fellow running back Aaron Jones Sr. (shoulder, toe) left last week's game and is questionable to play against the Ravens, which offers a range of possibilities for Mason. Jones was the more effective option last week in a key victory against Detroit, and though Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell has expressed optimism about Jones playing this week, Mason would be the featured option if Jones were to miss the game. The Vikings have ridden the hot hand when both backs have been available, which can be challenging to predict for fantasy purposes. But with Mason facing a good matchup and still getting a reasonable amount of work alongside Jones, he's a playable RB3/flex option in most formats.

Monday, November 10, 3:54 PM

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid "nudged" that running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) may take more time and might not be ready to return coming out of the bye to face the division-rival Denver Broncos in Week 11, according to Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride. Pacheco sat out of the Week 9 loss to the Buffalo Bills, but at the time, he was expected to be ready to go coming out of the Chiefs' Week 10 bye. The 26-year-old isn't dealing with a serious injury, but KC might just want to play it safe to ensure that they'll have Pacheco at full speed for the final stretch of the regular season. If Pacheco misses a second straight game, veteran Kareem Hunt should once again handle the bulk of the backfield work, with rookie Brashard Smith and Clyde Edwards-Helaire battling for change-of-pace snaps. After playing in only seven regular-season games in 2024 due to injury, Pacheco has disappointed again in 2025, rushing for 329 yards and only one touchdown on 78 carries through eight starts.