The Minnesota Vikings have had to deal with some major injuries the past few weeks. The most recent injury was to running back Cam Akers, who suffered a torn Achilles in the win against the Atlanta Falcons. With that injury, that means that running back Alexander Mattison is back to being the go-to running back for the Vikings.
Ty Chandler was the No. 3 running back on the depth chart, but could he get more carries now that Akers is out? Who is the better fantasy football play in Week 10?
Should You Start Alexander Mattison or Ty Chandler This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Mattison is the player to start. His projected 10.3 points include 43 rushing yards, two receptions, and 13 receiving yards. That stat line outperforms the consensus projections for Chandler’s 3.2 points.
My ranking for these running backs aligns with the Optimizer. Mattison is back to being the unquestioned No. 1 running back for Minnesota, while we still need to wait and see what Chandler’s role truly is.
Fantasy Outlook for Mattison This Week
Mattison absolutely should have gotten the ball much more now as the focal running back, but he needs to be more effective with the ball in his hands. So far this year, he has 122 carries for 434 with zero touchdowns.
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In Weeks 3 and 4, Mattison put together a nice two-week stretch where he rushed for 93 and 95 yards against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Carolina Panthers. Those 188 yards are more than he has rushed for in his last five games (184), as the most yards he has gotten since then is 44.
While the rushing yards are a weakness for Mattison, the fact he hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown is also a tough sign for fantasy managers. Mattison is the only player in the NFL with at least 400 rushing yards and zero touchdowns on the ground. While he hasn’t been able to get in the end zone on the ground, he has caught three touchdowns through the air.
He showed the ability to make plays out of the backfield last week with quarterback Joshua Dobbs, as he had two catches for 49 yards and one touchdown.
Among those with 400 rushing yards, only San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey (4) has more receiving touchdowns than Mattison. The fact that he is heavily involved in the passing game is a good thing for managers, and it helps overcome the lack of rushing touchdowns.
Fantasy Outlook for Chandler This Week
Chandler has been the third-string running back all year, so the fact that Akers is out could provide Chandler with a bigger role in the offense. However, how big that role is remains to be seen.
He has barely been used on offense this season, as he has carried the ball only eight times. The last time he rushed the ball was against the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 15, and he took that lone carry for 15 yards. Like Mattison, he can make plays out of the backfield, as he has five catches for 43 yards in limited action this year.
Right now, Chandler just hasn’t shown enough to expect him to be a huge part of the offense against a very good New Orleans Saints defense.
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