Jordan Mason, Tank Bigsby, Fantasy Waiver-Wire RBs amid Christian McCaffrey Injury

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Christian McCaffrey will miss the San Francisco 49ers’ season-opening matchup with the New York Jets on Monday night due to a calf strain, a bit of news that likely sent fantasy players who drafted him into disarray.

Should his injury persist, who are some players you could potentially add on waivers this week to fill out your roster?

Let’s break it down.

Jordan Mason, RB, San Francisco 49ers

The most obvious choice for desperate fantasy players is going to be McCaffrey’s backup and natural handcuff, Mason.

Omar Ruiz @OmarDRuizJordan Mason starting at RB for #49ers tonight. I’m told he has the respect of the locker room, is a tough runner who has speed & can run inside & outside the tackles. Was bell cow in training camp as Christian McCaffrey was dealing with the calf injury that’s keeping him out pic.twitter.com/2o00BTd476

Mason doesn’t bring a ton of experience to the table, with just 464 rushing yards and four touchdowns in two professional seasons. But San Francisco’s offense is the tide that raises all boats, and if McCaffrey misses a second week, Mason will be arguably the most valuable pickup on waivers this week.

The 25-year-old thrived in an expanded role during the 49ers’ 32-19 victory over the New York Jets in Week 1. Mason racked up 147 rush yards on 28 carries, scoring a touchdown. He also hauled in one catch for five yards.

Alexander Mattison, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

Mattison didn’t see as many touches as his backfield counterpart, Zamir White (15-9 advantage to the latter), but he did far more with the looks he received. Mattison only rushed five times for 19 yards but turned four receptions into 43 yards and a touchdown, good for 16.2 points in PPR leagues.

White, on the other hand, rushed 13 times for 44 yards, caught two passes for two yards and lost a fumble.

Mattison remains a risky addition because volume favored White in Week 1, and because he never really proved he could be a top option in Minnesota. So long as he remains a regular contributor in the passing game, however, he’ll have value in PPR leagues.

Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Week 1 backfield splits in Jacksonville were fascinating. Both Bigsby and Travis Etienne Jr. rushed exactly 12 times each against the Miami Dolphins, with Bigsby turning those looks into 73 yards, while Etienne went for 44 yards, a touchdown and a fumble. He also caught two passes for 15 yards and out-snapped Bigsby 37-17.

History would suggest that despite Sunday’s splits, Etienne will remain the top option in Jacksonville. He was given 267 carries last season compared to Bigsby’s 50, and on Sunday Bigsby held a 5-3 advantage in touches after Etienne’s fumble.

Still, Bigsby is a player worth rostering. If Etienne struggles to hold onto the rock, Bigsby could turn this into a true timeshare. He certainly made the most of his touches on Sunday.

Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Irving has remained a popular choice to supplant Rachaad White this season, though on Sunday the veteran out-touched Irving by a 21-11 margin and posted 16.6 fantasy points in PPR leagues compared to Irving’s 9.6.

Irving is probably more of a long-term play, though the fact that White only managed to post 31 yards on 15 carries did little to dispel belief that he simply isn’t an efficient runner. Irving, on the other hand, turned his nine carries into 62 yards. This remains a situation worth monitoring very closely.

Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Denver Broncos

McLaughlin saw more touches than Javonte Williams in Week 1 by a 15-9 margin, though he only managed to turn his 10 carries into 27 yards and somehow only managed to accumulate a single yard from five receptions.

Michael F. Florio @MichaelFFlorio#Broncos Week 1 RB Usage

– Javonte Williams: 52% snaps, 8 carries, 18 routes, 2 targets (27 yds)
– Jaleel McLaughlin: 35% snaps, 10 carries, 12 routes, 5 targets (28 yds)

Hayden Winks @HaydenWinksBroncos game was ugly, but we have RB data. It’s a clear 2-RB approach behind an OL that created 0.4 yards before contact here. Yikes.

Javonte: Early down, pass pro, likely goal line
Jaleel: Receiving back, but had a bad fumble
Estime: 3 snaps, but had a fumble on a hurdle pic.twitter.com/EJajhDfZ15

This appears to be a true timeshare, but the Broncos probably will be playing from behind a whole bunch this season. McLaughlin is a player who should be on your radar.