Who Should I Start? Jordan Mason or J.J. McCarthy

Monday, February 2, 5:31 PM

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason had a career-high 159 rushing attempts for 758 yards (career-low 4.8 yards per carry) and a career-high six rushing touchdowns in 16 games (five starts) in 2025 in his first year with the team. The 26-year-old added a career-best 14 receptions on 16 targets for 51 yards through the air. He'll be under contract with the Vikes again in 2026 after signing a two-year, $10.5 million deal in March of last year. Mason's fantasy ceiling was capped while working in a timeshare with Aaron Jones, who is also under contract through next season, and he finished as the RB34 in half-PPR scoring while averaging only 7.7 fantasy points per game. In what should be a similar role in 2026, Mason will be an RB3/flex target later in fantasy football drafts as the power back for Minnesota. Those who roster the oft-injured Jones would be wise to handcuff him to Mason.

Tuesday, February 24, 11:51 AM

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said on Tuesday that he still views quarterback J.J. McCarthy as a franchise signal-caller, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. "A lot of those feelings are still the same. It's just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was [in 2024]," McConnell said. The Vikings drafted the 23-year-old with the 10th overall pick in 2024 out of Michigan with the intentions of him being the team's long-term QB, but it hasn't gone as planned in his first two years in the NFL. McCarthy missed all of his rookie campaign due to a knee injury that required surgery, and he was extremely inconsistent in his first 10 starts in 2025 while missing time with various injuries. He completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Decision-making and accuracy were a big issue, but durability is the primary concern for Minnesota and fantasy managers who have him rostered in dynasty/keeper leagues. There's still time for McCarthy to develop under O'Connell, one of the best QB gurus in the league, but the Vikes may bring in some competition to push him this offseason.