Who Should I Start? Rhamondre Stevenson or Jordan Mason

Friday, October 31, 1:27 PM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) will not play on Sunday against the visiting Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, according to head coach Mike Vrabel. This was the likely result after Stevenson failed to practice all week after picking up a toe injury in the Week 8 win over the Cleveland Browns. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson had another fumble last week, but he also broke out with 75 rushing yards against a good Cleveland defense, and he'll be firmly in play as an RB2 for fantasy managers this weekend against Atlanta with Stevenson officially out. It's unclear if Stevenson will be on track to return for a Week 10 date against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road, but he will definitely need to get back on the practice field first. Henderson will serve as New England's clear-cut RB1 for the first time this weekend, with Terrell Jennings expected to back him up.

Friday, October 31, 4:52 PM

Coming off his worst game of the season, Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason looks to have tough sledding again in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions. Only three teams in the NFL have allowed fewer rushing yards than Detroit, which is holding opposing teams to an average of 87.7 rushing yards. Further, the former San Francisco 49er ran for just three yards and played a season-low 35% of Minnesota's offensive snaps when Aaron Jones Sr. returned to the lineup in Week 8. The Vikings will see the return of starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but they finished last week with three backups on the offensive line as both tackles continue to work their way back from knee injuries. Given the number of hurdles this week, Mason should be considered a low-end flex option in most standard formats.