Who Should I Start? Jordan Mason or Ray Davis

Wednesday, December 24, 3:27 PM

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason (ankle) has been ruled out for the Christmas Day game on Thursday versus the division-rival Detroit Lions after missing practice from Monday through Wednesday, per the team. Mason was always viewed as a long shot to play on a short week after injuring his ankle in the Week 16 win over the New York Giants on Sunday. The Vikings have nothing left to play for in 2025, so they were not going to push Mason to play. With the 26-year-old on the sidelines on Thursday, Aaron Jones Sr. should be in line for more backfield touches against the Lions. However, his fantasy upside will be tempered with inexperienced backup quarterback Max Brosmer set to start in place of the injured J.J. McCarthy (hand). Jones should be considered more of a touchdown-dependent, high-end RB3/flex for the matchup against the Lions.

Tuesday, December 16, 4:21 PM

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis wasn't involved much on offense in the team's come-from-behind victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday, but he still made his presence felt on special teams, returning four kickoffs for a total of 164 yards. The 26-year-old former fourth-round selection caught his lone target in the passing game for a gain of 13 yards. He did not have a rushing attempt. Davis took over the team's primary kick-return duties in Week 9, and since then, he hasn't had much of a role on offense behind Cook and Ty Johnson. Still, he's worth stashing for insurance at the RB position in deeper leagues, as he'd likely be sharing backfield touches with Johnson if anything were to happen to Cook in the final three weeks of 2025. Davis leads the NFL with 32.4 yards per kick return. On offense, he hasn't had a carry since seeing a season-high nine rushing attempts in Week 13 versus the Steelers.