There are two ways to play fantasy football. You can play it safe, or you can swing for the fences. It’s always risky to chase outliers, but outliers are how we separate from our competitors.
With that in mind, we’re going through bold fantasy takes for every NFL team, with this installment looking at the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings Bold Fantasy Prediction: Ty Chandler Outscores Aaron Jones
It appears the fantasy community has decided that Aaron Jones is the clear RB1, and Ty Chandler is just a backup. Look no further than the 31-spot positional gap between the two as evidence.
Jones has never really been a heavy-volume guy, so Chandler is going to play more than his RB49 ADP suggests. What if this is a true timeshare? A 55/45 split. Then, what if Jones, who struggled to get over a lingering hamstring strain, nearing his 30th birthday, once again can’t stay on the field?
I still believe in Jones’ talent. That’s not the issue. What will doom him, if anything, is his ability to stay healthy. There’s a much higher chance that Chandler outperforms Jones than their prices suggest.
Ty Chandler Fantasy Profile
Chandler’s second pro season certainly was a huge step in the right direction regarding his role expanding in the Vikings’ offense. His 461 rushing yards (at 4.52 yards per carry), 159 receiving yards on 21 receptions, and three total TDs helped Chandler finish as the RB48 in full-PPR formats while operating in a complementary role for the vast majority of the year.
These numbers still require a bit of context. Chandler saw just 13 total touches through the first nine games of the 2023 season. His average of just over one touch per game made him a complete non-factor for any fantasy roster to start the year.
Yet, once Cam Akers suffered a season-ending injury and Mattison’s efficiency issues didn’t improve, Chandler saw an expanded role over the final eight games of the season — averaging 13 total touches per game while still having some efficient outings. His best game came in Week 15 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 23 carries for 132 yards and three receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown.
Chandler’s efficiency and three-down skill set could make him a very interesting fantasy prospect this year. However, he will have to contend with the highly efficient veteran running back Aaron Jones this season for touches, who signed this offseason after Mattison took his talents to Las Vegas.
Chandler’s 5.0 yards per touch ranked inside the top 20 at the running back position, suggesting he could still be a fantasy contributor even in a complementary role. Yet, I’m not sure he was dynamic enough last year to suggest he has reliable stand-alone fantasy value in 2024 in an offense that will likely go through some growing pains with a rookie quarterback under center.
Check out Pro Football Network’s full fantasy football profile of Ty Chandler right here.
