Who Should I Start? Jordan Mason or Ray Davis

Tuesday, July 29, 11:22 AM

The Minnesota Vikings made a sizable investment in running back Jordan Mason by signing him to a two-year contract worth $10.5 million this past offseason. According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, Mason's playing time split with incumbent running back Aaron Jones will be "much closer" to 50-50 than previous RB1/RB2 splits in Minnesota under head coach Kevin O'Connell. In 12 games for the San Francisco 49ers last season, Mason logged 153 carries for 789 yards and three touchdowns. He wasn't utilized much as a receiver (11 catches), but Vikings offensive coordinator reportedly referred to him as a "natural catching the ball." If Minnesota views Mason as a three-down back, he could be in a fairly even time share with the 30-year-old Jones, whom O'Connell has spoken openly about reducing the workload for. Now might be the time for fantasy managers to invest in Mason, as more buzz about his usage could send him rocketing up draft boards.

Friday, January 24, 10:48 PM

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis is an unreliable fantasy option heading into Sunday's AFC Championship against the Kansas City Chiefs. Splitting the backup role with Ty Johnson has been hard enough for Davis this year. Now, he has to split the backup role while also facing off against one of the NFL's best run defenses. The Chiefs have been lethal against running backs this year, allowing the third-fewest rushing yards, fifth-fewest catches, and fourth-fewest receiving yards to the position during the 2024 regular season. Furthermore, they didn't surrender a single receiving touchdown to running backs. In Bills-Chiefs during Week 11, Davis was highly efficient, tallying just 11 rushing yards on five carries. With Cook in the lead-back role and Johnson serving as a key weapon for Josh Allen in the passing game, Davis needs to make the most of his limited opportunities in Buffalo's backfield. That won't be easy this week against the Chiefs. Cook remains the top Bills running back in fantasy football, and Johnson currently ranks ahead of Davis, too.