The San Francisco 49ers are going to be without one of their biggest stars for a minimum of four weeks, as the team announced that Chrisitan McCaffrey would be heading to the injured reserve. What does this mean exactly? Well, Jordan Mason is now in line to be the starter for at least the next month or more.
Mason, who signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2022, also got the starting nod last week. He took that opportunity and erupted for 147 yards and one rushing touchdown. Of all running backs in Week 1, only Joe Mixon had more rushing yards than Mason, with 159 total.
With the starting job his for the foreseeable future, here is everything you need to know about Mason, including his fantasy outlook for Week 2.
Who Is Jordan Mason? Young RB’s Fantasy Potential in Week 2
Hailing from Gallatin, Tennessee, Mason spent his college years at Georgia Tech from 2017 to 2021. Through his four seasons in Atlanta, Mason scored 17 total touchdowns on the ground and one through the air, reaching a total of 2,349 rushing yards and another 197 through the air. Mason broke out in his true freshman season, scoring seven touchdowns on the ground and averaging 6.1 yards per carry.
After signing with the 49ers last year, he only saw 40 rushing attempts, producing 206 yards and three touchdowns. TruMedia shows us that Mason had 5.2 yards per rush, which is only 0.2 lower than McCaffrey’s. Although McCaffrey was second overall in that statistical category, Mason was sixth in the NFL, showing he can gain yards with the best of them.
In preparation for the 49ers’ game this week, PFN’s Kyle Soppe provided his insights into Mason’s potential against the Minnesota Vikings.
“Christian McCaffrey was a late scratch on Monday (to us at least, as Jordan Mason implied that he knew he’d be featured entering the weekend), and Mason rewarded savvy fantasy managers with an RB5 finish.
The raw counting numbers are one thing, but if you’ve been reading my content, you know that I hardly look at the final results. I prefer to evaluate how the player got to his numbers; in Mason’s case, I’m buying. His production against the Jets was 21.7% over expectation, and he ranked third among running backs (over 15 carries) in our custom elusive rating.
Nothing Mason did last week looks out of place on the surface. He did say in the postgame that he wasn’t sure how McCaffrey handles this role for four straight months, opening the door to speculation about whether he will again assume elite usage this week.
Jordan Mason in Week 1 vs NYJ:
🏈 29 touches, 152 total yards, 1 TD
🏈 22.2 PPR fantasy points
🏈 RB5 overallWhere will he rank in Week 2 of fantasy football with Christian McCaffrey being placed on IR? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/yPhdCSsgW7
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 14, 2024
That notion, along with the matchup (the Minnesota Vikings allowed under one foot per carry before contact to running backs last week, third-best), dragged Mason down to the average RB2 tier in my rankings — but he remains a fine bet.
When it comes to evaluating some of the Week 1 RB breakouts in Rhamondre Stevenson and Tony Pollard, I’d rather start Mason due to the stability of his offensive environment.”
Jason Katz’s Week 2 Fantasy Running Back Rankings
Before deciding what to do with Mason this week, let’s take a look at where he lands in PFN Fantasy Analyst Jason Katz’s weekly running back rankings.
1) Bijan Robinson | Atlanta Falcons (at PHI)
2) Breece Hall | New York Jets (at TEN)
3) Saquon Barkley | Philadelphia Eagles (vs. ATL)
4) Kyren Williams | Los Angeles Rams (at ARI)
5) Jahmyr Gibbs | Detroit Lions (vs. TB)
6) Isiah Pacheco | Kansas City Chiefs (vs. CIN)
7) De’Von Achane | Miami Dolphins (vs. BUF)
8) Joe Mixon | Houston Texans (vs. CHI)
9) Josh Jacobs | Green Bay Packers (vs. IND)
10) Derrick Henry | Baltimore Ravens (vs. LV)
11) Jonathan Taylor | Indianapolis Colts (at GB)
12) Jordan Mason | San Francisco 49ers (at MIN)
13) James Conner | Arizona Cardinals (vs. LAR)
14) Alvin Kamara | New Orleans Saints (at DAL)
15) Rachaad White | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at DET)
16) Brian Robinson Jr. | Washington Commanders (vs. NYG)
17) James Cook | Buffalo Bills (at MIA)
18) Najee Harris | Pittsburgh Steelers (at DEN)
19) Rhamondre Stevenson | New England Patriots (vs. SEA)
20) Travis Etienne Jr. | Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. CLE)