Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Jordan Mason

Wednesday, September 24, 6:15 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Wednesday that they placed running back Najee Harris (Achilles) on Injured Reserve, according to Fernando Ramirez of the Sporting Tribune. Harris' season is over after he tore his Achilles in the Week 3 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. It's a disappointing end to his first year with the Bolts after signing with them in free agency in the offseason. The 27-year-old will end his streak of four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons to begin his career. In his three games this year, Harris carried the ball 15 times for 61 yards and no touchdowns, adding three receptions for 25 yards through the air. The Chargers will be forced to lean more on rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton as their lead back going forward, making him a must-start each week. Hassan Haskins will be elevated to the RB2 role, with Kimani Vidal the next man up at No. 2 in the backfield.

Friday, November 7, 6:14 PM

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason faces a friendly matchup against a Baltimore Ravens team that has struggled to stop the run for large portions of the year, but it remains to be seen how the Vikings will allocate carries in their backfield in Week 10. Fellow running back Aaron Jones Sr. (shoulder, toe) left last week's game and is questionable to play against the Ravens, which offers a range of possibilities for Mason. Jones was the more effective option last week in a key victory against Detroit, and though Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell has expressed optimism about Jones playing this week, Mason would be the featured option if Jones were to miss the game. The Vikings have ridden the hot hand when both backs have been available, which can be challenging to predict for fantasy purposes. But with Mason facing a good matchup and still getting a reasonable amount of work alongside Jones, he's a playable RB3/flex option in most formats.