Tre Mason

Week 4 at Arizona
Tre Mason rushed nine times for 16 yards while catching one pass for 15 yards in the Rams Week 3 loss to the Steelers. He technically got the start, but played on only 44 percent of the team's offensive snaps, down from 54 percent in Week 2. After being inactive the first two weeks of the season, Todd Gurley (knee) returned to action last week and will continue to receive touches as the Rams work him into game shape. This will affect Mason's workload moving forward. St. Louis' offensive line has struggled mightily to start the year, rendering Mason completely ineffective when he does have opportunities to carry the ball. He ranks as our RB41 for Week 4 and should be avoided in all formats.

Week 2 at Washington
Tre Mason aggravated a hamstring injury in the third preseason game against Indianapolis and was held out of the Rams Week 1 win over the Seahawks last Sunday. But he was a full participant in practice this week and is on track to play this weekend in Washington. If he does play, expect Mason to start and Benny Cunningham, who was the team's RB1 vs. Seattle, to shift back into his third-down role. The Redskins defense played well in a Week 1 loss to Miami and is the 8th-ranked fantasy defense versus the run. Desperate owners should start Mason at their own risk, as he could be worked back in slowly from the injury. He ranks as our RB32 and owners who can avoid starting Mason should do so.

Fantasy Upside
Tre Mason will enter the regular season as the Rams RB1 as first-round pick Todd Gurley continues to rehab from ACL surgery. By handling 18.1 touches per game over the final nine weeks of the season, Mason proved he can handle a decent workload last year. While rushing for 765 yards and four touchdowns on just 179 carries, he even finished as fantasy's RB24 despite not playing for the first six games. The upside here is if Gurley suffers a setback, Mason should be a solid RB2 given the Rams' run-first approach. And even if Gurley is healthy, Mason will have every opportunity early in the season to prove he deserves touches.

Fantasy Downside
HC Jeff Fisher didn't draft Gurley with the 10th overall pick because he thought the former Bulldog would look great in a committee. The plan is once Gurley is ready, he'll be the RB1 in St. Louis and he has the ability to be an every down back once he's 100 percent. Thus, even if Mason plays well as the team's lead back in the first month of the season, he'll be on borrowed time. The other problem is the Rams offensive line, which replaces four starters from a year ago and is chockfull of inexperience. It could be months before that unit gels, which would have a negative effect on the team's rushing attack as a whole.

Bottom Line
Mason is currently our RB42 and is going in the seventh (12-team) and ninth (10-team) rounds of drafts. He is a valuable handcuff for owners who are willing to roll the dice on Gurley in the middle rounds and if Gurley suffers a setback at any point, Mason will be a low-end RB2. We wouldn't fault owners who prefer to stay away from the Rams backfield altogether, but Mason will have some fantasy value early in the year. Keep in mind, Jeff Fisher wants new OC Frank Cignetti to run the ball early and often so volume won't be a problem for the Rams' starting RBs this year.