Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler’s fantasy football outlook in 2024 took a massive hit with the addition of Aaron Jones. On top of that, there really aren’t many catchy fantasy team names that can utilize his name, so we’re further stuck between a rock and a hard place with what to do with Chandler.
Below, I’ll preview Chandler’s fantasy outlook and tell you whether or not he’s worth a pick in your upcoming fantasy drafts.
Ty Chandler’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
While the ZeroRB fantasy football strategy has had some success, Chandler isn’t worth a target for this concept.
Right now, Chandler is going as the RB47 in PPR leagues, and it makes sense — there’s minimal path to any kind of success.
The only silver lining comes at the cost of Jones, as he’ll need to get injured for Chandler to generate value.
Jones played in 11 games last year and has only played one full season since 2020.
Based on that, Chandler may get some opportunities, but it’s hard to tell when that will happen.
In 2023, Chandler rushed 108 times for 481 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry and was especially effective on first down.
According to TruMedia, on first down, Chandler averaged 4.6 yards per carry, compared to 3.5 yards per carry or less on second and third downs.
Before Week 11, Chandler had just eight carries, but from Week 11 on, he had six games with double-digit carries.
In those games, he had four yards per carry or less, but his best game came in Week 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals (23 carries, 132 yards, one touchdown).
Chandler is entering his third season in the NFL but will be firmly behind Jones, who’s never averaged less than 4.6 yards per carry in a season and is a lifetime five-yard-per-carry rusher.
Is Ty Chandler a Good Fantasy Pick?
I don’t really think it’s worth it, generally speaking.
Sure, Jones could miss some time, but do you really want to clog a roster spot with a useless asset all season waiting for a player to get injured?
I’d rather wait, utilize my bench for someone who can provide some immediate value and put in a waiver claim, or make an FAAB bid for Chandler.
Of course, there are caveats like the size of your league. If you’re in a deeper league, go for it. If you’re in a 10-team league, there’s more value out there.
The Vikings finished last season in the bottom-five in rush attempts per game — and remember, quarterback Kirk Cousins missed about half of the season.
Chandler will get a chance if Jones goes down, but I’m not sure how effective he’ll be considering half of his double-digit carry games were below average.
Given his ADP, Chandler is likely a near last-round pick, but I’m not going to bother trying to make this work.