Despite the Minnesota Vikings offense losing star players like Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins for an extended time during the 2023 season, they’ve still produced 58 points over the last two weeks.
Unfortunately, they may be without starting RB Alexander Mattison heading into their prime-time matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football after sustaining a concussion against the New Orleans Saints last week.
Let’s look at the potential fantasy football impact Mattison’s injury could have on this Vikings offense.
Latest Injury Update on Alexander Mattison
The latest injury update on Mattison is positive news after he was upgraded to a limited participant on Thursday after being absent on Wednesday. The RB will now continue his way through the protocol. The hope is that he will be able to be upgraded to a full participant on Friday as that is a crucial stage toward being cleared for the weekend.
The concussion protocol has multiple defined stages that include physical steps followed by observations. This season it has been tough for a player to play the week after suffering a concussion. Terrell Bernard managed it going from Sunday to Monday last week, but we have not seen many players manage to get back on the field seven days after the injury.
Will Mattison Play This Week?
The upgrade on Thursday gives Mattison a chance, but really this is all in the hands of the doctors. On Wednesday, head coach Kevin O’Connell said Mattison will only play if “he is completely, totally and medically cleared and feels great about going out there against Denver.”
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Mattison still has a few more days to work his way through the concussion protocol and the Vikings could take it as far as Sunday if they think he has a chance. He will need to clear the final couple of hurdles and the Vikings have time to allow those hurdles to clear. If he is upgraded to a full participant on Friday, that would be a huge boost for Mattison and his fantasy managers.
What Does This Mean for Ty Chandler’s Fantasy Ranking?
When heading into the 2023 season, many fantasy managers were incredibly optimistic about Mattison’s expanded role as the team’s starting RB after the organization decided to part ways with Dalvin Cook this past offseason.
Unfortunately, Mattison’s 2023 campaign has been plagued with efficiency issues — evident by his career-low 3.55 yards per carry this season.
Mattison is currently the RB26 in PPR formats and has failed to rush for 100 yards in any single game this season. Fortunately, his involvement in the passing game — where he has 24 receptions for 164 yards and three scores on the year — has been consistent enough to give his fantasy managers a reliable floor in PPR formats.
If Mattison manages to clear concussion protocol and is available for the team’s game on Sunday night, he will face one of the most favorable matchups a running back can see in 2023 against the Broncos. Denver is allowing an average of 29.8 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs this season, which is the most in the league.
However, if Mattison fails to clear concussion protocol ahead of their Week 11 prime-time game, Ty Chandler will be the next man up. Sure, Kene Nwangwu or Myles Gaskin could see some work this week, but Chandler is the only Vikings RB I would feel comfortable inserting into my fantasy lineup.
Chandler saw a career-high 15 carries against the Saints after Mattison exited the game on Sunday. He only managed to produce 45 yards, but did generate the first rushing touchdown of his NFL career on one of those carries.
Chandler becomes a top-30 play at the RB position if Mattison is ultimately inactive against the Broncos in Week 11.
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