The fantasy football championships are finally here for many managers across the country. The Minnesota Vikings‘ offense has been a roller coaster this year. There have been injuries to their star quarterback, receiver, and now tight end, but the team is still somehow in playoff contention.
They host the Green Bay Packers this weekend in a playoff eliminator, and they may need to run the ball more than normal to get the win.
However, should fantasy managers trust either Ty Chandler or Alexander Mattison in their starting lineup heading into the fantasy championship round in Week 17? Let’s take a closer look.
Ty Chandler’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
Last week against the Detroit Lions, the Vikings’ rushing attack was nonexistent. The running back duo of Chandler and Mattison combined for 10 carries and 16 yards, which is obviously a horrific day.
To keep some perspective, that was against a Lions rush defense that is ranked fourth in the NFL in stopping the run.
Fortunately for fantasy managers who rolled with Chandler on Sunday after his career day against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15, he managed to find the end zone on one of his eight carries, which managed to salvage his otherwise rough fantasy outing.
If there is one positive to look at when comparing Chandler to Mattison last week, it was the number of carries. Chandler had eight carries for 17 yards, while Mattison had two for -1.
The Vikings found themselves down fast in that game, as quarterback Nick Mullens threw for over 400 yards. Despite the big passing day for Mullens, Chandler wasn’t involved, as he had zero catches.
Chandler has scored touchdowns in two consecutive games and could be in store for another as the Vikings go up against the Packers. Green Bay has allowed 15 touchdowns this year, which is currently the ninth most in the NFL.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
The Packers’ defense also allows the third-most rushing yards at 135.9 per game, which means Chandler could be in store for another big game.
Minnesota is going with rookie Jaren Hall at quarterback, and the Vikings are now without T.J. Hockenson. They are going to rely on the rushing game more than normal.
Alexander Mattison’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
This year has been disappointing for Mattison, as there were high expectations for him after he became the No. 1 running back for the Vikings. However, things haven’t gone that well for a multitude of reasons. Like Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, and Hockenson, Mattison has had to deal with some injury issues of his own.
Mattison hasn’t scored a single rushing touchdown this year despite playing 14 games. That alone should be enough to scare fantasy managers from playing him this week, but now, even the Vikings aren’t really playing him, either.
He was on the field for less than 10% of the offensive snaps against the Lions, showing the team is fully behind Chandler right now.
He has been battling injuries, so that could have played a role in him not being on the field as much. However, the more likely reason is that Chandler has just been better.
Can Fantasy Managers Trust Chandler or Mattison in Week 17?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Chandler is the player to start. His projected 9.3 points include a projection of 93 rushing yards. That doesn’t seem like a big stat line, but it outperforms the consensus projection for Mattison (5.7 points).
I am going to go with the Optimizer on this, as I think Chandler has a higher ceiling. With the Packers struggling to stop the run and the Vikings’ passing game being decimated by injuries, Chandler could be in store for a good RB2 or Flex option this week.
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