RB Alexander Mattison has been a steady performer in the backfield for the Minnesota Vikings all season, but an ankle injury on a short week could leave him out of this Week 15 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. So, should you take a chance that Mattison will play Saturday, or consider giving RB Ty Chandler a shot to start in your fantasy football lineup?
Editor’s Note: Alexander Mattison has been ruled out of the Vikings’ Week 15 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Should You Start Alexander Mattison or Ty Chandler This Week?
Using the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Mattison is the player to start. His projected 9.0 points include 38 rushing yards, two receptions, and 11 receiving yards. His projected stat line outperforms the consensus projection of Chandler’s 5.1 points.
However, when you isolate my rankings, I see Chandler outperforming Mattison. The injury factor involving Mattison is too strong to support at the moment. Chandler’s potential as a pass catcher makes him a worthy candidate to start if Mattison can’t play Saturday.
Fantasy Outlook for Mattison This Week
Before suffering his sprained ankle last week, Mattison was having an excellent game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He carried the ball 10 times for 66 yards. His 6.6 yards per carry average was his highest of the season.
Now the question becomes, just how serious is his ankle injury? Mattison did not participate in Tuesday’s walkthrough, and his absence could leave a major hole in the Vikings’ offense at the worst time.
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WR Justin Jefferson returned last week and ended up leaving with a chest injury, and the Vikings have already been without QB Kirk Cousins since Week 8. Minnesota announced that QB Nick Mullens will start Saturday against the Bengals, the fourth different starting quarterback for the Vikings this season.
Having a quality running game would seem to be of vital importance this week, but without Mattison, where will the Vikings turn?
Fantasy Outlook for Chandler This Week
They will turn to Chandler, the second-year back out of North Carolina (by way of Tennessee).
Still, the rusher didn’t exactly instill a ton of confidence last week after getting a chance to be the lead back with Mattison’s injury.
In a season-high 40 offensive snaps, Chandler averaged less than three yards a carry (2.9) on 12 carries. He finished with 35 yards on the ground, and even though he caught three passes, they only produced seven receiving yards.
However, I don’t think that was the norm for him. I tend to look back at his Week 11 performance against the Denver Broncos when he rushed for 73 yards on 10 carries and added four receptions for 37 yards.
Both his rushing and receiving yards were season-high marks.
On top of that, those numbers came against one of the worst defenses in the league, the Broncos. On Saturday, the Vikings will match up with the Bengals, who rank next-to-last in total defense (379.2 YPG).
So, whichever player gets the start on Saturday, expect nice numbers from them. For me, I’m guessing it will be Chandler.
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