Alexander Mattison decided to flip the running back room upside down in Las Vegas in Week 1. At first glance, we wonder why we are even having this conversation as Zamir White received 13 rushing attempts, the 18th best in the NFL, compared to Mattison, who recorded the 42nd-best total with five attempts. Their yardage wasn’t extremely close either, as White outproduced Mattison 44 to 19.
The issues begin as you enter the weeds and notice that Mattison averaged 3.8 yards per rush while White averaged 3.4. Mattison’s total ranked him 15th overall on Trumedia. As you walk through each stat, such as yards before contact, yards after contact, and even longest rushing attempt, the two running backs were neck and neck to their final totals.
The reason we must consider Mattison is the receiving game. Mattison ran 43 routes in Week 1. That was the sixth most for any running back. White only ran ten routes, leaving him at the bottom of the barrel as the 49th-best in the NFL.
Mattison was also targeted six times, the fourth most for running backs in 2024. His 10.8 yards per reception was the tenth-best in the opening week, and Mattison even delivered by landing in the endzone after a 31-yard reception. Mattison showed explosiveness we didn’t see from him in 2023, and now even the coaches are willing to give him a chance, as they have stated they are going to go with the “hot hand” each game.
Should Alexander Mattison Be Added to the Fantasy Waiver Wire in Week 2?
Mattison is a fine addition to your fantasy team due to the Raiders’ lack of winning upside. At first glance, that sounds wild and inaccurate because we usually want running backs from good teams. However, if the Raiders are going to be behind in the majority of the games, they will lean on the faster of the two running backs with the better hands. Both traits lean towards Mattison over White, meaning Mattison can give us cheap points to beat our opponents.
It doesn’t matter how we gather our points as long as we gather an abundance of them every week. Next week, the Raiders face the Baltimore Ravens. Vegas odds state they will be playing from behind for the majority of the game. The Ravens did allow the ninth-most receiving yards to the position in the debut game of the year. Mattison could be the extra depth you need if you roster players such as Kenneth Walker, who are dealing with injury and could become inactive in Week 2.
Don’t expect Mattison to take the whole backfield away from White, but if you can receive the passing attempts from this offense that lacks options, you can bolster your roster instantly in Week 2. Don’t be surprised to see Mattison moving up the rankings this week.