Redraft fantasy football leagues don’t get popping until August, though Dynasty formats run year-round. If you have a Dynasty startup draft coming up, ESPN wants you to remember these Minnesota Vikings players as “sleepers”: quarterback Kyler Murray and halfback Jordan Mason.
Murray’s stock is at his career’s lowest, while Mason is pretty much overlooked by the fantasy community as a whole.
Vikings’ New-Look Offense Gets Fantasy Buzz
ESPN: Murray Is a Sleeper
Murray was the first Viking to catch sleeper status from Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler. The pair wrote, ‘Murray has been limited to just 30 games over the past three seasons, but the dual-threat QB has averaged 18.0 fantasy points per game over that span.”
“Now in Minnesota with his best supporting cast since 2020 — including Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings and T.J. Hockenson — Murray is well positioned to lean more on the vertical passing game.”
Needing a quarterback to partner with J.J. McCarthy in 2026, Minnesota found Murray off the free-agent wire for $1.3 million. The Cardinals dumped him and are paying him to play for Kevin O’Connell’s team.
So Is Mason
On Mason’s fantasy outlook, Graziano and Fowler noted, “Mason has averaged 5.1 yards per carry in his career, ranking third among 54 running backs with at least 350 carries since he entered the league. He averaged 9.9 rushing attempts and 8.1 fantasy points per game in 2025.”
“Mason’s sleeper appeal is largely tied to Aaron Jones Sr., a 31-year-old with 1,914 career touches who struggled with injuries and efficiency in 2025. If Jones were to miss time, Mason would be firmly on the RB2 radar.”
Mason enters Year No. 2 with the Vikings after a successful first campaign and will once again share the workload with veteran tailback Aaron Jones.
The Fantasy Case for Murray
If Murray plays 14 games or more — he’s been injury-prone lately — the fantasy community and Vikings fans will consider him a revelation. He’s an ideal fantasy passer, unafraid to use his legs and productive through the air when given time in the pocket. In 2024 — still considered by national media as a down year for Murray — he ranked as QB9 leaguewide in fantasy terms.
In 2020, he finished as QB2 behind Josh Allen.
The man has the background to flourish in fantasy. He must a) Stay healthy b) Nestle in O’Connell’s system c) Pray the Vikings’ offensive line stays healthy, unlike last year.
In 10-Team Dynasty SuperFlex startups, Murray can be obtained around Round 7, and perhaps around Round 4 in Redraft. Without SuperFlex rules, he’s closer to Round 11 or 12 in Redraft.
Fantasy Life‘s Dwain McFarland and Ian Hartitz noted on Murray’s fantasy profile a couple of weeks ago, “Kyler Murray is the frontrunner to win this alleged competition. While 2025’s ‘soft benching’ for Jacoby Brissett featured Murray putting up career-worst passing numbers, the pint-sized speedster has posted high-end real-life — and especially fantasy — numbers on multiple occasions during his seven-year career. Murray joins Malik Willis as the top 2 later-round dual-threat options in fantasy.”
Mason Is Sweet for Fantasy Depth
Mason, on the other hand, may not quite have the fantasy ceiling as Murray, but he cannot be ignored. Whether in San Francisco or Minnesota, the guy has produced when given the ball — to the tune of about 5 yards per rushing attempt.
It’s just that someone else is habitually in his way. Christian McCaffrey wasn’t about to cede touches with the 49ers, and the Vikings enjoy splitting Mason’s workload with Jones, which is on deck again in 2026.
FantasyPro‘s Derek Brown on Mason: “Mason is a one-trick pony, but that one trick is quite good. He’s a strong early down option for NFL offenses and should continue to serve in the role this season for Minnesota. Last year, he was the RB42 in fantasy points per game while soaking up 158 rushing attempts and producing 758 rushing yards and six total touchdowns.”
“Among 49 qualifying backs, he ranked tenth in explosive run rate, seventh in rushing success rate, ninth in missed tackle rate, and 15th in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). Aaron Jones will continue to be the passing-down partner for Mason for Minny in 2026. If (or when) Jones misses time, Mason could be a plug-and-play RB2, but he’s best viewed as a high-end handcuff/touchdown-dependent flex.”
If given an RB1 workload around 250-275 touches, Mason’s numbers would resemble this:
- 260 Carries
- 1,239 Rushing Yards
- 4.8 Yards/Carry
- 10 Touchdowns
- 23 Receptions
- 83 Receiving Yards
If you’re drafting a 10-Team Dynasty SuperFlex startup, grabbing Mason in Rounds 15, 16, or 17 would be wise. For redraft leagues in August and March, Rounds 11, 12, or 13 make sense.
