We are back for another edition of fantasy nuggets to help you prepare for the 2025 draft season. Jordan Mason and Roschon Johnson are two fantasy running backs going outside the top-36 that can be lottery tickets on your team. Right now, the bestball season is heating up, but these two players can also be valuable in season-long formats. Like a broken record, if you are not preparing your 2025 fantasy draft plan, YOU ARE FALLING BEHIND! The savvy fantasy players are already playing in bestball leagues and have researched who the late-round players are with league-winning upside. We have two more players for you today that we are targeting in our fantasy drafts.
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Two Late-Round Running Backs That You Should Be Drafting
Jordan Mason Showed He Can Produce When Given The Opportunity
Minnesota acquired running back Jordan Mason from the San Francisco 49ers in March to back up starter Aaron Jones. Minnesota, in turn, signed Mason to a two-year contract worth potentially $12 million. Mason broke out last year, starting the season off as the RB1 for the injured Christian McCaffrey. He showed he belonged. In eight games, Mason rushed for 685 yards, averaged over five yards per carry, and had three touchdowns. In addition, he added another 86 receiving yards on 10 catches. Unfortunately, his season was cut short, and he missed the last five games due to a high-ankle sprain.
The value in Jordan Mason lies in the upside, with a 30-year-old Aaron Jones as the Vikings’ current starting running back. Jones did play in all 17 games last season, finishing as the overall PPR RB15. However, the season prior, he missed 6 games. At a minimum, you should be drafting Mason as a premium handcuff to Jones. When Mason played at least 50% of the snaps for the 49ers, he averaged 106 rushing yards per game. Mason is reported to be back to full strength and a strong candidate for the coveted goal-line role in Minnesota. Jordan Mason can be a league winner for you in 2025!
Roschon Johnson Appears To Be Lined Up to Play an Elite Role in Bears Offense
Another back that represents a lottery ticket is going even later in best ball drafts than Mason. Roschon is currently going off Underdog draft boards as the RB67 and ADP of 271. This is more of a speculative add, but at the price tag, it brings zero risk. Chiacao Bears‘ new head coach Ben Johnson showed the ability to make two running backs fantasy-relevant. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery were in huge fantasy last season, finishing as the RB1 and RB18, respectively.
Johnson is considered a solid pass protector, can catch the ball out of the backfield, and was used in short-yardage situations. He tied D’Andre Swift for a team high with six rushing scores. Again, the idea in the later rounds of fantasy drafts is to target upside players, who have the chance to smash their ADP. Johnson gives you that at basically no cost. Hypothetically, we expect Roschon Johnson to take on the Montgomery role. That role has resulted in two straight top-18 running back finishes. At pick 271, sign us up, and you can thank us at LWOS later!
Main Photo: [Mark Konezny] – USA Today Sports
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