Analyze Jordan Mason's matchup for week 11
Mason has averaged 15-plus carries in four of his last five games, faces a Bears unit bleeding 143 rush yards and 5.1 YPC, and plays at home in a must-win spot—fire him up as a high-floor, high-ceiling RB2.
Chicago enters Week 11 ranked 27th in rushing yards allowed per game (143.3) and 18th in fantasy points surrendered to RBs. The Bears have given up six rushing scores to backs through eight weeks and are especially soft between the tackles—precisely where Mason does his damage. With the Vikings at 4-4, a division rivalry in a potentially cold/U.S. Bank Stadium, and Aaron Jones still easing back from a hamstring issue, Kevin O’Connell is all but certain to lean on his new workhorse for 15-20 carries and goal-line looks.
Since Week 3’s 116-yard, 2-TD breakout, Mason has handled 13-plus carries in four of five games, averaging 3.8 YPC over that span and solidifying his role as Minnesota’s early-down and red-zone back.
Volume plus matchup equals fantasy gold, and that’s exactly what Jordan Mason offers this week. The Bears’ front seven has been a revolving door; they just allowed 5.4 YPC to the Panthers’ duo and were trampled for 173 yards by the Saints in Week 9. Mason’s north-south, tackle-breaking style is tailor-made to exploit Chicago’s defensive interior that misses gaps and rarely gets backs to the ground on first contact. Add in a home dome where crowd noise helps sustain drives, and a Vikings offense that wants to control clock and keep pressure off Sam Darnold, and you have the perfect recipe for 18-plus touches.
Game script should remain neutral or positive for Minnesota; the Bears can score, but their pass rush is mediocre, so the Vikings can stay balanced rather than abandon the run. That keeps Mason on the field in the fourth quarter, padding his yardage and offering another crack or two at the end zone. He’s already seen seven red-zone carries over the past three weeks—no other Vikings back has more than two—cementing his touchdown upside in a defense that’s allowed a rushing score once every 18 opponent carries.
The final piece is health and role security. Aaron Jones returned to limited practices but admitted he’s “still not 100 percent,” making it unlikely the staff risks a setback in a pivotal divisional game. That means Mason keeps the early-down work, while Jones and Ty Chandler spell only passing downs. Even if Jones steals 5-7 touches, Mason’s projected 15-18 carries against a defense coughing up 5.1 YPC translates to 75-90 rushing yards with a strong probability of a touchdown, plus a couple of check-down grabs. In a week where several fantasy stars are on bye, that floor/ceiling combination lands him squarely in the RB2 tier with upside for top-12 production.