The Minnesota Vikings will hit the road to face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9 of the NFL season. Both teams will have a quarterback change, as Taylor Heinicke is taking over in Atlanta and rookie Jaren Hall is starting for the injured Kirk Cousins.
Below, we’ll run through how those changes will impact Vikings RBs Cam Akers and Alexander Mattison while highlighting their fantasy prospects for Week 9.
Fantasy Football analysis: Vikings RBs Cam Akers/Alexander Mattison
Mattison remains the leader of the Vikings’ backfield, although his production has dipped in recent weeks. Still, he has seen 16+ carries in two of the last three games, although Mattison has failed to surpass 41 rushing yards or score a touchdown in that span.
Akers has seen a marginal uptick in carries while recording 10 and 9 rushing attempts for 31 and 19 rushing yards respectively in the last two games. He scored a touchdown last Sunday at the Green Bay Packers as well.
Start or sit in Week 9 PPR leagues?
Start Mattison. Sit Akers. Mattison is a volume-based RB3/FLEX in Week 9.
This backfield is still somewhere around 65-35 in favor of Mattison, and there’s a good chance the Vikings will lean more on the running game to break in their rookie quarterback. You can look toward starting Mattison in bigger leagues of 12-14+ teams, but be sure to assess your options in leagues smaller than that.
Start or sit in Week 9 standard leagues?
Start Mattison. Sit Akers. The matchup is tough, but Mattison should get opportunities in Week 9.
The Falcons have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs, so temper expectations. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Mattison get 15-20 touches with some looks in the red-zone. Consider starting him in your FLEX for bigger leagues of 12 or more teams.
Player(s) you would start ahead of Cam Akers/Alexander Mattison
I would start running backs like Devin Singletary of the Houston Texans, Jerome Ford of the Cleveland Browns, and Brian Robinson Jr. of the Washington Commanders over Akers and Mattison in Week 9.