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    Seifert: Mason (thumb) expected to return Week 7

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    MIN Running Back #27
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    ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reports Jordan Mason (thumb/IR) is expected to return for Minnesota’s Week 7 game.

    The Vikings play the Saints this week, then go on bye in Week 6, so Aaron Jones has one more massive workload week ahead of him against New Orleans before the backfield heads back to a split. Mason looked good in the early going and, if he was cut loose in a shallow league, makes a worthwhile pickup.
Purdy, 49ers headline this week's Fanta Five
John Fanta delivers his Fanta Five after an action-packed NFL Week 5 slate; San Francisco 49ers headline the list after an impressive win against the Seattle Seahawks.

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  • MIN Running Back #27
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    That escalated quickly. On Monday, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Mason’s “sore thumb” was being evaluated. Apparently, it had sustained a small fracture, which has now been “fixed,” ostensibly surgically, given O’Connell’s phrasing. Short-term injured reserve placement requires players to miss four games, but the Vikings are on bye in Week 6, so Mason will be eligible to return in Week 7. Mason led the backfield with 15 carries in Week 1, so his absence provides RB Aaron Jones with a touch-count boost. Veteran RB DeeJay Dallas operated as the RB3. Rookie RB Demond Claiborne was inactive last week, but should be active in Week 2 against the Lions. Speculatively stashing him could be worthwhile.
  • MIN Running Back #27
    Mason didn’t appear to have any issues in Week 1’s win, but adrenaline does carry athletes at times. We’ll likely get an update on this on Wednesday at the latest — we’d consider Mason likely to play in Week 2’s game against the Bears at this point.
  • MIN Running Back #27
    Mason led the team in carries but only rushed three more times than Aaron Jones, who also found the end zone. Both backs also ran nine routes each, though Jones was targeted once while Mason did not see a look in the passing game. Mason’s lack of a role through the air will limit his weekly ceiling, but a floor of double-digit carries isn’t half bad. He will sit in the RB3 ranks for his Week 2 date with the Bears.
  • MIN Running Back #27
    Mason stands 5'11 and his weight is listed between 223-230 pounds depending on the source. He hits the latter figure on the Vikings’ website. That’s fairly hefty for a running back. The Vikings’ starter, RB Aaron Jones, is 31 years old and took a pay cut to stay with the team this offseason. Mason, 27, might have a chance to challenge for the primary rushing role this year, though Jones will likely remain the primary player on passing downs.
  • MIN Running Back
    Lewis believes that “in the long haul, the Vikings project a potentially game-breaking role.” Thus far, Claiborne’s new teammates have taken to addressing him by his childhood nickname, “Lightning.” And, Lewis, in an admittedly over-the-top manner, describes Claiborne’s lateral movements as “the closest thing you’ll find to real-life teleportation.” Hyperbole aside, beat reporters do not always take the time to write features on sixth-round rookies. Given Lewis’ short-term stipulations, it sounds as though Claiborne might be given the chance to compete for a role in the passing game this summer. Starting RB Aaron Jones is entering his age-31 season, and RB Jordan Mason, 27, is a one-dimensional rusher. The two veterans are ahead of Claiborne on the depth chart, no doubt, but this is not an elite one-two punch. Keep an eye on Claiborne this summer.
  • MIN Running Back #33
    The running back takes a pay cut to a base salary of $5.5 million. This move quashes the fantasy value of Jordan Mason, who was looking like he’d head the committee in 2026 by a wide margin. Mason still may wind up leading the Vikings in carries given how often Jones gets hurt, but Jones will probably see at least half the snaps here after agreeing to stay. Jones is more of a high-end RB3 at this stage of his career, as entering his age-32 season he’s started to leave a concerning number of games with injuries and spent time on injured reserve last year.
  • MIN Running Back #27
    Mason functioned as the team’s lead back with Aaron Jones inactive, seeing 14 of the Vikings’ 24 running back carries. It was the second highest rushing yardage total for Mason in 2025. He mostly served as Minnesota’s No. 2 back behind Jones, seeing more than ten touches in six games. He finishes the year with 770 rushing yards and six scores, catching 14 of 16 targets for 51 yards. Mason, 26, is signed through the 2026 season and could be the team’s lead back if Aaron Jones leaves town. Still, Mason’s lack of involvement as a pass catcher will limit his fantasy upside in any scenario.
  • MIN Running Back #33
    Facing defensive backups for the Packers, Jordan Mason will likely get a starter’s workload in the Minnesota backfield with Jones sidelined. JJ McCarthy, dealing with a hand injury, will start the regular season’s final game. Look for Justin Jefferson to be peppered with targets as QB-WR combo try to get on the same page ahead of an uncertain offseason for McCarthy.
  • MIN Running Back #27
    Mason is in line to start this week with RB Aaron Jones (hip) having been ruled out. The Packers have already locked up a playoff spot. The Vikings are simply trying to get a better read on QB J.J. McCarthy. Mason is on the RB3/FLEX radar this week. He will likely cede passing down snaps to No. 3 RB Zavier Scott.
  • MIN Running Back #27
    With RB Aaron Jones (hip) sidelined by a hip injury, Mason has a chance to start. Vikings No. 3 RB Zavier Scott would likely play in passing situations, if this is indeed, the case. Mason would be on the RB3/FLEX radar. The Vikings face the playoff-bound Packers in Week 18.

Rotoworld

  • LA Wide Receiver #17
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    Davante Adams caught 5-of-7 targets for 51 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ Week 5 loss to the Bills.

    Adams cashed in on a corner fade from four yards out in the second quarter and ran a beautiful route on a double move slant from five yards out for his second score in the fourth quarter, proving that he remains an elite red zone weapon for an offense that has now attempted 51 or more passes in three straight games. Adams is back to modest target rates following the Week 4 return of Puka Nacua but remains a weekly WR2 due to his red zone acumen, which remains true ahead of a much more forgiving matchup against the Cardinals in Week 6.
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    Tyler Higbee caught 5-of-6 targets for 83 yards in the Rams’ Week 5 loss to the Bills.

    Higbee continued to operate as the primary pass-catching tight end against the Bills, something that must please fantasy managers considering Colby Parkinson returned from a one-game absence. Furthermore, the team carried only three tight ends on the active game-day roster after being at either four or five through the first month of the 2026 season. Higbee is a middling TE2 in fantasy circles ahead of a juicy matchup against the divisional rival Cardinals in Week 6.
  • LA Wide Receiver #12
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    Puka Nacua caught 17-of-24 targets for 138 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 5 loss to the Bills, adding nine yards on two carries.

    Nacua operated as the primary option through the air for a Rams team that attempted more than 50 passes for the third straight game. The veteran alpha was mostly confined to short-area work, something that could be attributed to the groin injury that continues to have his name on the injury report in practice, but that would not keep Nacua from returning another elite WR1 performance. Nacua was also inches away from padding his stat line further after failing to come down with what would have been a 51-yard touchdown reception on the final play of the first half. Nacua and the Rams fall to 2-3 ahead of a Week 6 divisional showdown against the Cardinals, where he will remain one of the top fantasy assets in the league.
  • LA Running Back #24
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    Blake Corum rushed five times for 19 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 5 loss to the Bills, adding 53 yards on three receptions.

    Corum provided a much needed spark in relief of lead back Kyren Williams, contributing three clutch receptions that kept drives alive in addition to a third quarter touchdown. That said, his modest volume continued while Williams turned in a third straight game with 20 or more opportunities, including 28 total targets in that stretch. Corum remains a top fantasy handcuff but is unlikely to return useful fantasy weeks for as long as Williams is healthy.
  • LA Running Back #23
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    Kyren Williams rushed 16 times for 49 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 5 loss to the Bills, adding 27 yards on six receptions.

    Williams has yet to see more than the 16 carries he saw against the Bills this season but the team’s recent pass-heavy nature has left the veteran lead back with six or more receptions in three straight games, including 27 total targets in that span. The elite-level aerial volume made it three consecutive games with 20 or more opportunities for Williams, who continues to return RB1 fantasy weeks while playing in one of the league’s top offenses. Williams remains a middling RB1 ahead of a Week 6 divisional showdown against the Cardinals at home.
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    Matthew Stafford completed 40-of-54 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns in the Rams’ 37-34, Week 5 loss to the Bills.

    It was the third consecutive game in which Stafford attempted 51 passes or more in what has become the most voluminous passing offense in the league. The two powerhouses felt each other out throughout the first half as only 20 combined points per scored before the break. Things would get aggressive for the final 30 minutes as seven combined touchdowns were scored on nine second half possessions, four of which were accounted for by the Rams. Stafford directed a whopping 24 targets toward alpha wide receiver Puka Nacua, who set a career high with 17 receptions in a short-area role. The reigning MVP returned an instant classic performance against the 2024 MVP, ultimately coming up short in overtime following a blocked field goal attempt from Harrison Mevis. The Rams fall to 2-3 ahead of a home matchup against the more forgiving Cardinals in Week 6. Stafford is once again a fantasy QB1 in that matchup.
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    Dalton Kincaid caught 1-of-2 targets for seven yards in the Bills’ Week 5 win over the Rams.

    The Bills clearly came into this one intent on establishing the run, attempting 37 rushes to just 19 Josh Allen pass attempts in a game played without both DJ Moore and Joshua Palmer. Kincaid has now seen three or fewer targets in each of his last three games after erupting for 225 yards through the air in the first two weeks. The ceiling was never in question, but fantasy managers have to be reeling after three consecutive down performances for the enigmatic tight end. Kincaid remains an upside TE1 ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Raiders.
  • BUF Wide Receiver #0
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    Keon Coleman caught 1-of-2 targets for seven yards and a touchdown in the Bills’ Week 5 win over the Rams.

    Coleman was largely erased by the lockdown corner play of the Rams but had a receiving line also heavily influenced by a ground-heavy game plan from a Bills team that attempted only 19 passes in almost 70 minutes of football. It was quite the letdown fantasy performance for managers looking to take advantage of the absences of both DJ Moore and Joshua Palmer. Coleman is a borderline FLEX play in Week 6 against the Raiders, pending the status of Moore.
  • BUF Wide Receiver #10
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    Khalil Shakir caught all three targets for 80 yards in the Bills’ Week 5 win over the Rams.

    Shakir’s modest target total was primarily a product of a ground-heavy approach from the Bills, who were playing without both DJ Moore and Joshua Palmer. His quiet fantasy outing was quickly remedied through a 57-yard, catch-and-run reception on the team’s second possession of overtime to set up the game-winning, Tyler Bass field goal. Shakir remains a shaky fantasy bet ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Raiders.
  • BUF Running Back #4
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    James Cook rushed 25 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns in the Bills’ Week 5 win over the Rams, adding seven yards on one reception.

    Cook’s elite rushing line was overshadowed by two fumbles, the second of which was a lost fumble on the team’s first possession of overtime, placing the Rams in position to complete the comeback and steal away the victory. A blocked field goal on what would have been the game-winning kick breathed new life into the Bills, who demonstrated confidence in their lead back by throwing him right back out there on the following possession to eventually win the game. The 26 touches go down as a season high for the veteran back, who found paint for the fourth consecutive game in the thrilling overtime win. Cook remains a top-tier RB1 for fantasy purposes ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Raiders in Las Vegas.