Who Should I Start? Jordan Mason or Omarion Hampton

Saturday, September 6, 3:45 PM

Running back Jordan Mason will make his Minnesota Vikings debut on Monday against the Chicago Bears, against whom he should be viewed as a viable flex option. The Vikings have been dreadful in short yardage in recent seasons, but completely revamped their interior line and traded for the 26-year-old running back, who rushed for a career-best 789 yards in relief of Christian McCaffrey with San Francisco last season. Minnesota also brought back Aaron Jones Sr., so uncertainty surrounding the Vikings' backfield relegated both backs to the middle rounds of fantasy drafts. Ultimately, there is a reason Minnesota traded for Mason, who is likely to see regular short-yardage carries, including those near the goal line. Jones is the better receiving back, but Mason figures to still get enough touches to be fantasy relevant.

Saturday, September 6, 12:59 AM

Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton rushed for 48 yards on 15 carries during Friday's win over the Kansas City Chiefs. He also caught two passes for an additional 13 yards through the air. While it was promising that the Chargers trusted Hampton to handle heavy volume, his inefficiency (3.2 yards per carry) was somewhat worrisome. Going forward, it's possible that the rookie will need to score touchdowns in order to be fantasy relevant. Nevertheless, he is the clear No. 1 running back in Los Angeles, so his value will increase as he starts to face easier defenses. For example, he gets a much more favorable matchup in Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders.