Is Jordan Mason a Must Start for Fantasy Teams with Christian McCaffrey Out Again? | Breaking Down the 49ers Backfield Before Week 2

One of the biggest surprises in week 1 was when Christian McCaffrey was ruled inactive and Jordan Mason got the start for the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.

McCaffrey has been limited in practice with what’s been deemed calf and Achilles injuries and very well could miss another week. Instead of waiting until the status of McCaffrey is revealed, let’s just discuss what each situation means from a fantasy football perspective.

Looking for start/sit help? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Who Should I Start tool.

UPDATE: Christian McCaffrey was ruled out for week 2.

News Surrounding McCaffrey

There’s been a number of different reports released this week regarding McCaffrey.

Some were positive, saying he had a pretty good chance to play in week 2. Others were neutral, not committing to a status for the elite running back. Others were negative, saying McCaffrey could miss a couple weeks.

San Fran listed McCaffrey as questionable in week 1, and it was said to be a close call to make him inactive. If he progressed this week, you’d think he’d be on the right side of being active, but I’m not so sure that’s happened.

Earlier Friday, San Fran General Manager John Lynch said they were prioritizing the future when it came to McCaffrey. That certainly makes it seem like the team would make the RB inactive again this week, and it might continue until McCaffrey is as close to 100% as he’s going to get.

I’m sure more will come out between now and the team’s week 2 game, so be on the lookout for that.

Week 1 Numbers Without McCaffrey

San Fran dismantled the New York Jets in week 1 even without McCaffrey.

The team ran 72 offensive plays, with Mason getting the start and serving as the workhorse. He played 58 snaps and got 29 touches. The only other running back to get snaps was rookie Isaac Guerendo, and he played a whopping three snaps.

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk got 40 snaps as well, but Mason was the only one with any rushing attempts.

Mason ran for 147 yards and a touchdown on 28 attempts. He got five attempts in the red zone. Mason added a five-yard catch on his lone target.

Deebo Samuel Sr. also got eight carries, gaining 23 yards and scoring a touchdown. He appears to be functioning as the No. 2 back behind Mason for now, and I wouldn’t anticipate that changing if McCaffrey is out again.

Week 2 Matchup

The Niners match up against the Minnesota Vikings in week 2.

Minnesota’s defense pretty much dominated in week 1, but that came against the hopeless New York Giants. The Vikings held New York backs to 45 rushing yards and 29 receiving yards on 14 carries and six receptions. Because the Giants’ RBs didn’t score a touchdown, Minnesota looks like a tough matchup on paper.

San Francisco's offense is a different animal. Even if the Vikings can shut down the running game, the Niners could simply turn to Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle in the passing game.

But we’re here to talk about Mason, so let’s focus on him. If McCaffrey isn’t playing this week, I’d definitely try to get Mason in my starting lineup. If McCaffrey does play, I’m avoiding Mason in all formats, as even a split backfield won’t be enough for Mason to deliver solid fantasy numbers.

If McCaffrey ends up playing, you can’t not start him. Even limited, he's got a great chance to score and rack up enough yardage to be at least an average fantasy back.

So to summarize that quicker: Try to start Mason if McCaffrey is out and only start McCaffrey if he’s playing.

Mason in the Weekly Rankings

If McCaffrey is out, the next thing I want to know is how many other backs I can start Mason over. That’s what this final section will focus on.

The week 2 PPR fantasy projections currently see McCaffrey playing, but being limited and only scoring 13 points. Mason is actually projected for 13 points as well, which I think is fascinating.

McCaffrey being out wouldn’t mean Mason is projected for 26 points, but he’ll be viewed as a workhorse and shoot way up the rankings. But where exactly does Mason fit in?

Let’s check the start/sit tool for some possible guidance. Mason is part of trending decisions with Alvin Kamara and James Conner right now. Kamara is projected for 14 PPR points, while Conner is at 15. 

I think that projection is too low for Mason, who was a top-five fantasy option in standard and PPR leagues last week. McCaffrey being out would safely put Mason inside the top 10 for me, and I’d personally project him for at least 16 PPR points (I think he’ll be listed at 15 if McCaffrey is out).

Being a top-10 fantasy back means he should be starting in all league types, and that’s what I’d do with Mason. Whether that means putting him into a flex spot (because your starters are also elite fantasy options), or benching one of your highly-drafted guys, Mason deserves to be in fantasy lineups this week.

Keep an eye on the status of McCaffrey as the weekend progresses, and be sure to have a backup plan in place regardless of what the team decides to do - hopefully the decision will come a little earlier this week, but don’t get blindsided for a second straight week. The Niners game is during the first window of Sunday games, so that makes things a little easier to navigate at least.

Best of luck in week 2!