Mason's backfield mate Elijah Mitchell (undisclosed) was placed on season-ending injured reserve Tuesday, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.
Reports of Mason challenging Mitchell for the second spot on the depth chart actually predate Mitchell's injury troubles this summer, with the Niners apparently impressed by Mason's combination of size (5-foot-11, 223 pounds) and passing-down skills. He's no match for Mitchell in terms of speed, but that may not matter much for fantasy if Mason ever finds himself in the starting lineup under coach Kyle Shanahan. While Christian McCaffrey (calf) seems to be on track for Week 1 against the Jets, there's always considerable injury risk for a running back that piles up snaps and touches the way CMC does. While unlikely to have standalone value while McCaffrey is healthy, Mason is one of the more valuable backup RBs to stash on a fantasy bench -- and he should remain so unless rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo makes a push up the depth chart after missing most of the summer with a hamstring injury.