https://www.vikings.com/news/jordan-mason-running-back-nfl-2026-fantasy-football

Lunchbreak: Jordan Mason Among PFF's RB 'Sleeper' Picks for 2026 Fantasy Football 

The Vikings backfield is packing combo punches and potential.

Aaron Jones, Sr., has been to a Pro Bowl and is one of three active players with 7,500-plus rushing yards and 2,500-plus receiving yards, along with San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey and Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley. And, sixth-round rookie RB Demond Claiborne has 4.37 speed and is learning under Jones’ wing.

That said, don't you dare forget about Jordan Mason.

Minnesota's leading rusher in 2025 with 758 yards on 159 attempts (4.8 avg.), Mason is anticipated to be a reliable and rugged runner for the club after he started five of 16 games in his debut Vikings season. He also is being touted as a "sleeper" back by Pro Football Focus analyst Nathan Jahnke for fantasy football.

Jahnke recently identified three NFL ball carriers who are expected to be drafted in fantasy leagues in the later rounds — but boast "the potential to become weekly must-start fantasy options in 2026." Mason fits that bill, according to Jahnke, as well as Chargers RB Keaton Mitchell and Browns RB Dylan Sampson.

In his assessment of Mason, Jahnke zoomed out to note his success since entering the league as a 49ers undrafted free agent in 2022. Mason primarily served as a backup his first three seasons but took over for McCaffrey when the All-Pro was injured in 2024, and Mason posted a career-high 789 yards that year.

Leaning on pertinent statistics, Jahnke wrote the following about the 27-year-old from Gallatin, Tennessee, who often goes by "JP" in the Vikings building, which references his middle name, Ponchez:

His 91.3 rushing grade over the past four seasons ranks 10th among all running backs. He has averaged 5.1 yards per carry, 3.4 yards after contact per carry and a first down or touchdown on 26.6% of his runs, all ranking third among the 56 running backs with at least 300 carries. He is also the only running back in that group with a positive grade on more than half of his carries. That efficiency has translated to fantasy success whenever he's been given a lead-back role. Mason ranked as the RB10 in PPR (Point Per Reception) leagues over the first seven weeks of 2024 while McCaffrey was sidelined, and he averaged 14.5 PPR points per game across [his initial] four starts for Minnesota last season, (spanning Weeks 3-7).

Although Mason and Jones were 1a and 1b options for the Vikings run game last year, and they are likely to split backfield duties, again, Jahnke pointed out Mason should have plenty of opportunities in 2026.