The Minnesota Vikings face a short turnaround in Week 2 as they face the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET, and given the quick turnaround and tough matchup, Alexander Mattison’s fantasy stock is naturally affected. We break down whether he’s worth keeping in fantasy lineups, or if its best to save him for a better matchup.
Fantasy Football analysis: Vikings RB Alexander Mattison
Mattison is coming off a quiet and inefficient performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. He totaled 34 yards on 11 carries but managed to stay fantasy-relevant with three receptions for 10 yards and a touchdown. As the Vikings travel for a road matchup with the Eagles on Thursday night, Minnesota’s tailback could be leaned on heavily given the short turnaround.
Start or sit in Week 2 PPR leagues?
Start. Mattison was far from efficient on the ground in Week 1, but he was able to salvage the day with a receiving touchdown to give him 13.4 PPR fantasy points. Granted, Philadelphia is a tough draw for him as they ranked 16th against the run last season (121.3 YPG allowed). However, they did give up the 13th most receptions to the position (86) in 2022, which is a silver lining for PPR leagues.
If you find yourself in smaller leagues, there’s a chance you can potentially swap Mattison for another running back with a more advantageous matchup. In larger teams with more than 12 teams, it could be slim pickings, meaning Mattison is a must-start either way.
Start or sit in Week 2 standard leagues?
Start. The Eagles are coming off a Week 1 performance in which they limited the Patriots to 76 yards on the ground, but the short turnaround for Thursday night could work in Mattison’s favor. The Vikings running back had just 11 carries in Week 1, which means he could be fresh enough to shoulder more rushing attempts against Philadelphia. The Eagles have no shortage of pass rushers either, so leaning on the ground game from the start could work as a nice foil.
Mattison profiles as a must-start within larger leagues of 12 teams or more, while in smaller leagues he could be liable to be swapped out, only for the right matchup.
Player(s) you would start ahead of Alexander Mattison
Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, or James Cook are possible solutions at running back should you choose to bench Mattison in Week 2. For Gibbs and Montgomery, they find themselves back at home against a Seahawks defense that still carries some questions, while Cook is also at home against the Las Vegas Raiders. Last year, Las Vegas allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game (21.4) to opposing running backs.