Who Should I Start? Jordan Mason or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Tuesday, August 5, 11:49 AM

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason was viewed as a "massive" part of Minnesota's offseason plan, according to head coach Kevin O'Connell. During the spring, the Vikings acquired Mason via a trade. During the 2024 campaign, Mason emerged as a key contributor to the San Francisco rushing attack when Christian McCaffrey was sidelined. On a career-high 153 carries, Mason tallied 789 yards and three scores. During the first seven weeks, Mason flashed RB1 upside as he averaged a strong 14.8 PPR points per game and averaged 95.3 yards per game during this stretch. In addition, reports from Vikings camp suggest the team views him and veteran Aaron Jones as "Co-RB1s." While Jones will likely see the slight majority of carries, Mason possesses much higher upside given his age and speed. He is worth viewing as a standalone flex option and a high-upside handcuff if Jones were to miss time.

Thursday, August 28, 9:33 PM

Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic writes that it's "still too early to know" how much playing time Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt will receive early in the season. Croskey-Merritt was one of the breakout stars of training camp, and the Commanders seemingly cleared a spot for him by trading away incumbent back Brian Robinson Jr. However, Washington still has an established veteran in Austin Ekeler to play passing downs, and third-year back Chris Rodriguez Jr. is expected to earn touches as well. There's a pathway for Croskey-Merritt to seize the lead role in Washington at some point this season, but the Commanders may open the season with more of a committee approach. Croskey-Merritt has fantasy RB2 upside. Still, managers should draft the 24-year-old expecting RB3/flex production.