Alexander Mattison start or sit: Week 3 fantasy football advice

The Minnesota Vikings are set to host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3. Kickoff from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 24.

Within this matchup, we’ll take a look at the fantasy prospects for Vikings RB Alexander Mattison. Should you start or sit him in Week 3?

Fantasy Football analysis: Vikings RB Alexander Mattison

With Dalvin Cook’s departure, Mattison began the season as Minnesota’s undisputed RB1. However, his performance over the first two weeks hasn’t quite lived up to that designation...at least for fantasy purposes.

One of the few bright spots came in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he caught a touchdown pass. Otherwise, his 2023 season has been relatively unremarkable through eight quarters, totaling 62 rushing yards on 19 carries and 21 receiving yards on six receptions. It’s also worth noting that Mattison lost a fumble last week at the Philadelphia Eagles.

Start or sit in Week 3 PPR leagues?

Start. Even though he has been mediocre, Mattison is still seeing enough volume to be a solid RB2 this week.

Mattison is still the clear top running back for Minnesota, as he has 19 carries and 6 catches compared to backup RB Ty Chandler’s 4 carries and 3 receptions through two games.

So far, game flow has been a limiting factor for Mattison, particularly last week when the Vikings had to rely heavily on their passing game to keep up with the Eagles. However, in a more evenly matched contest, there’s good reason to expect that Mattison could see 15 or more touches.

Start or sit in Week 3 standard leagues?

Start. You are probably frustrated with Mattison after last week, but he checks in as a strong RB2 option in Week 3.

We talked about the potential volume above, and the matchup corresponds nicely this week. The Chargers gave up the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing running backs last season. That includes the second-most rushing yardage and tied for the fifth-most receiving touchdowns at the position.

Player(s) you would start ahead of Alexander Mattison

I’m ranking running backs like James Cook of the Buffalo Bills and Miles Sanders of the Carolina Panthers ahead of Mattison, but it’s not by much.