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

Sunday, January 4, 8:45 AM

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason is set to be the lead back for the Week 18 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Mason is set for an increased workload with the Vikings ruling out Aaron Jones Sr. (hip) for the regular-season finale. When Jones missed time early in the season, Mason rushed for over 50 yards in each of those games with three total touchdowns. The Packers are unlikely to play their starters on defense, as their postseason seeding is already determined. Mason is primed for a strong performance, so fantasy managers should strongly consider him for DFS contests or in leagues still playing for a fantasy championship. He offers borderline RB1 value without Jones in the mix and comes in as RotoBaller's RB10 in the latest rankings for Week 18.

Sunday, January 4, 3:08 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (right hand) exited during the third quarter of Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Green Bay Packers. He is officially listed as questionable to return. Given that Minnesota is eliminated from playoff contention and Green Bay is penciled into the No. 7 seed, it seems somewhat unlikely that the Vikings will put McCarthy back into the game if he's not fully healthy. For the time being, Max Brosmer has taken over at quarterback. At the time of his departure, McCarthy had completed 14 of his 23 pass attempts for 182 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero turnovers. He also had seven rushing yards. Injuries continue to be a common theme for the former first-round pick. McCarthy missed the entire 2024 season, and he played 100% of the snaps in fewer than half of the Vikings' games this year.