Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison has always been a solid fantasy performer when filling in for Dalvin Cook. This season will be the first year that heās the featured back as the Vikings released Cook and decided to stick with the younger, cheaper option. Mattison has the ability to be as good as Cook was in terms of fantasy scoring over the past few years.
2023 Fantasy Football: Alexander Mattison Profile
Recap of 2022 season
In 2022, Mattison had 74 carries for 283 yards and five touchdowns. He also had 15 receptions for 91 yards and a receiving touchdown. Those numbers may scare some people, but the Vikings were running Cook into the ground. And itās not like Cook isnāt a three-down back as heās a great pass-catcher.
Updated Minnesota Vikings outlook
As I said above, Cook was released by the Vikings this offseason. It was hard to believe they couldnāt even trade him, but the contract was too big that teams stayed away. With Cook gone, many think Mattison is due for a breakout year. Outside the draft, the Vikings didnāt do much. They drafted Jordan Addison in the first round and he should be WR2 in Minnesota.
Best-case scenario
Mattison puts up numbers similar to what Cook did last season. Cook finished as RB9 and averaged 11.7 standard fantasy points per game. I honestly think Mattison can finish a little better than that. Minnesota is a pass-first offense but still gets its running backs involved. Mattison has shown passing-catching ability in his career so that he will be on the field for most of the snaps. I expect him to average at least 13 standard fantasy points per game this season.
Worst-case scenario
Barring injury, the worst I can see Mattison finishing is RB15-RB16. We saw how many plays Cook made in this electric offense, so Mattison should do the same. However, there could be issues in transitioning to a No. 1 running back for Mattison. He had filled in for Cook as RB1 in the past, but never played a full season in this role.
Prediction
Mattison finishes right around RB9-RB10. Itās rare you see a player of Cookās caliber cut and itās clear they have high hopes for Mattison. When on the field, Mattison has been solid, so we have already seen some of what we can expect. The only scare is the Vikings throwing the ball too much, but Mattison can catch passes and should be in on most passing downs.
