Jordan Mason had eight rushes for 20 yards in the Vikings’ Week 8 loss to the Lions.
Mason led the team in carries, as Aaron Jones — who came into the game with a knee issue — saw five rushing attempts on the day. Jones remained the team’s pass-catching option out of the backfield while Mason could not get anything going on the ground against a middling Lions rush defense. Mason, who had 15 carries last week, will remain a touchdown-dependent RB3 option in Week 9 against the Bills.
John Fanta and Jay Croucher get into the phone lines after NFL Week 8, where Broncos fans are flying high while Cowboys fans are embarrassed after losing to Gardner Minshew and the Cardinals.
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Jones’ status will be one to watch this week as the Vikings prepare for their Week 8 matchup against the Lions. While the team calling him day-to-day is encouraging, Jones was already dealing with a knee injury entering Week 7, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Vikings opted to sit him this week to give him some additional time to recover. Jordan Mason, who rushed 15 times for 68 yards in Sunday’s win over the Colts could be in line for a busy day against the Lions if Jones is unable to go.
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Mason did not start for the Vikings, but out-touched and out-snapped Aaron Jones. He was the primary early-down back and saw two targets as well, though he did not catch either of them. Jones (knee) exited the game in the fourth quarter, leading to Mason finishing out the game for the Vikings. Even before the Jones injury, Mason was the the back with the highest utilization. Mason is a low-end fantasy RB2 heading into a soft Week 8 matchup against the Lions; he could emerge as a top-15 option if Jones misses time.
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The Vikings activated Mason off injured reserve and he is officially active for the first time since suffering a thumb injury in Week 1. He will split backfield touches with Aaron Jones, with Jones likely getting more of the passing-down work and Mason more the early-down work. Mason is a fantasy RB3 in his return. The Vikings declared S Jakobe Thomas, QB Max Brosmer, CB Chuck Demmings, RB Demond Claiborne, DL Elijah Willliams and OT Caleb Tiernan inactive for Week 7 against the Colts.
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Mason came into the season as the presumed lead back in a timeshare with Aaron Jones, the latter of whom has performed as a true workhorse in Mason’s absence. Although it could take a week or two for Mason to fully regain the lead back role, his presence significantly mutes the potential of Jones. Expect a near-even split when the Vikings take on the Colts in Week 7.
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Mason practiced in full all week. He seemingly has good odds of suiting up, but sometimes NFL teams will give players extra time off when they are returning from injured reserve. If Mason plays this weekend, he should be able to handle his normal lead-rushing role. In that case, he can be started as an RB2/FLEX.
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Mason is firmly on track to play in Week 7 against the Colts. He should tentatively be expected to lead the backfield in carries right away, with Aaron Jones potentially settling into a 1B role. The Colts’ defense is not an imposing unit, so both running backs are FLEX-viable this week.
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His 21-day practice window will open; most of the reporting is that the Vikings expect him to play in Week 7. Assuming that’s the case, we expect to see him hit the ground running on the Wednesday practice report with at least a limited session and perhaps a full.
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Lewis connects the Vikings to Chargers backs Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal as well as Tennessee’s Tony Pollard, Tampa Bay’s Kenneth Gainwell, and Arizona’s Tyler Allgeier. These are just whispers at the moment, but any kind of costly trade acquisition would cut into the playing time and fantasy value of Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones. The Vikings have clearly already been shuffling depth pieces around so we believe there could be more urgency there as the trade deadline gets closer.
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Late last week, Fowler’s colleague, Kevin Seifert, reported that Mason is expected to return in Week 7 as well. Add him if he is available. Mason is not involved much as a receiver, but his expected rushing workload makes him a reliable FLEX with RB2 upside.
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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.
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AJ Barner caught 2-of-5 targets for 23 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 8 loss to the Bears.
Barner is far from fantasy consideration having only one game through eight appearances with more than a modest five targets while failing to notch a single receiving touchdown. Fantasy managers can safely return him to the waiver wire in all formats.
Tory Horton caught 3-of-6 targets for 26 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 8 loss to the Bears.
Horton took more massive hits than he had receptions in this one, with Sam Darnold placing him in harms way on more than one occasion. He was already fighting through nagging injuries entering the contest but gave it a go with Rashid Shaheed ruled out, with this game likely doing nothing to help him in that regard. Despite finishing second on the team in receiving behind alpha Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Horton is not a startable fantasy asset ahead of a Week 9 meeting with the division rival Cardinals.
Cooper Kupp caught 1-of-3 targets for seven yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks’ Week 8 loss to the Bears.
Kupp was unable to take advantage of the absence of fellow receiver Rashid Shaheed but did cash in for his second touchdown of the season. Kupp’s days of consistent fantasy production are long behind him as the Seahawks head into a Week 9 divisional meeting against the Cardinals approaching must-win territory.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 6-of-11 targets for 118 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks’ Week 8 loss to the Bears.
Smith-Njigba was the entire offense in the first half, accumulating 92 yards through the air while the rest of the offense managed only two, including his receiving touchdown. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen made adjustments after the break that confined JSN to only 26 additional yards the rest of the way. Smith-Njigba now has seven 100-yard receiving games in eight appearances as he extended his league-leading yardage totals, clear and away the top overall wide receiver in fantasy circles. That position will not change ahead of a Week 9 meeting with the Cardinals.
Zach Charbonnet rushed six times for 23 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 8 loss to the Bears, adding six yards on three receptions.
Charbonnet drew the start but saw four fewer opportunities than rookie Jadarian Price, the latter of whom led the team in rush yards and touches. Expect the two to continue operating in a near-even timeshare moving forward, leaving Charbonnet in shaky FLEX territory ahead of a Week 9 meeting with the Cardinals.
Jadarian Price rushed 10 times for 29 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 8 loss to the Bears, adding eight yards on two receptions.
It was Zach Charbonnet that drew the start for the Seahawks in his first game since tearing his ACL last year, but it was the talented rookie that led the team in opportunities. Price was making his first appearance since hitting injure reserve with a chest injury suffered in Week 2, and while he led the team in yardage and carries, George Holani remained involved in clear passing situations and Charbonnet is liable to see his role continue to grow with each healthy game. Price will be a shaky FLEX option in a better matchup against the Cardinals in Week 9.
Sam Darnold completed 17-of-34 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the Seahawks’ 34-17, Week 8 loss to the Bears, adding 20 yards on two receptions.
Darnold really struggled through consistent pressure from Dennis Allen’s aggressive defensive front as the Seahawks gained just 252 yards of total offense. Things looked manageable in the first half while Darnold leans heavily on alpha wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, feeding his top option for 92 yards before the break. Allen’s second half adjustments all but removed JSN from the offense, holding him to just 26 yards after the break. Week 8 went down as only the third game of the 2026 season in which Darnold threw multiple touchdowns, leaving him outside QB2 range and on waiver wires ahead of a Week 9 meeting with the Cardinals.
Kalif Raymond caught 2-of-3 targets for 14 yards in the Bears’ Week 8 win over the Seahawks, adding 39 yards on one carry.
Raymond’s lone “carry” came on a third-and-long in the fourth quarter in a three-point game, with the play ruled a rush attempt following a slightly backwards toss on a quick swing pass to the perimeter. Raymond did the rest as he turned on the jets for a 39-yard gain to the five, which D’Andre Swift would punch in for the second of his three rushing scores on the evening. Raymond remains unlikely to match his early-season exploits but can be stashed in case of injury to Luther Burden, Rome Odunze, or Colston Loveland.
Luther Burden caught 7-of-9 targets for 56 yards and a touchdown in the Bears’ Week 8 win over the Seahawks.
Burden’s opening drive score was the first touchdown surrendered by the Seahawks on an opening possession in the previous 26 games, finishing tied with tight end Colston Loveland for the team lead in targets while catching the only passing score from quarterback Caleb Williams. He continues to operate as the team’s top option through the air in a role that is most malleable, which can either be concentrated on the short areas against zone or extended in the vertical against man. Burden is a WR2 in a pass-funnel matchup against the Buccaneers in Week 9.
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Colston Loveland caught 7-of-9 targets for 65 yards in the Bears’ Week 8 win over the Seahawks.
Five of Loveland’s nine targets came on the team’s first drive as the Bears scored the first opening possession touchdown against the Seahawks in the previous 26 games. He would largely disappear until key receptions in the fourth quarter to extend drives, finishing the game tied with Luther Burden for the team lead in targets and second on the team in yards behind Rome Odunze. Loveland has shaken off an extremely slow start to the 2026 regular season with three consecutive games of at least six receptions and 65 yards. He’ll be a middling TE1 against the pass-funnel Buccaneers in Week 9.
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