Who is the Vikings starting running back for fantasy football in 2023?

The Minnesota Vikings have a new starting running back. After releasing veteran Dalvin Cook earlier in the offseason, Alexander Mattison has been promoted from the team’s backup to the starter. It remains to be seen if they are going to run with him as a three-down back, but Mattison is the guy in the Minnesota backfield.

Vikings starting running back: Alexander Mattison

The Vikings drafted Mattison in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has been serving as Cook’s backup for the past four years and has played well in relief of the veteran when he dealt with injuries. His best season came in 2021 when he played in 16 games and tallied 491 yards and three touchdowns on 134 carries. Mattison added 228 more yards and an additional score on 32 receptions.

Who is Mattison’s backup on the Vikings RB depth chart?

Minnesota has a training camp battle to determine the running back depth chart order. Along with Mattison, they have Ty Chandler, Kene Nwagwu and DeWayne McBride, comprising their backfield. Chandler was a fifth round pick last year and only tallied six carries for 20 yards as a rookie. Nwangwu was a fourth round pick in 2021 and has played in 28 games over two seasons. He has 22 career carries for 75 yards. McBride was a seventh round pick in this year’s draft. While preseason depth charts should be taken with a grain of salt, Nwangwu is listed as the backup for the time being.