The Minnesota Vikings enter Week 7 of the NFL season with a perfect 5-0 record and are coming off their bye week as one of the league’s best offenses.
With 517 total yards and two touchdowns so far, running back Aaron Jones is the heartbeat of Skol Nation’s early success. However, the veteran’s status remains uncertain ahead of this week’s matchup with the Detroit Lions due to a hip injury.
If Jones were to miss this week’s NFC North meeting, is Ty Chandler a must-start fantasy option, or is the backup better left on the bench?
Ty Chandler’s stats
Chandler’s work this season has come as the second option in the Minnesota backfield. Through five games, he’s logged 42 carries for 147 yards, an average of 3.5 yards per attempt. In the receiving game, he’s caught all six of his targets for 42 yards. Chandler does remain scoreless on the season, but he’s played greater than 35% of snaps only once so far.
The one time he’s received a greater share of the workload came in Week 5 after his backfield mate Jones exited the game in London vs. the Jets. Chandler didn’t do much with the extra opportunities and finished with a final stat line of 14 rushes for 30 yards, plus two catches for nine yards.
It was an uninspiring performance for fantasy football purposes as Chandler scored just 5.9 DraftKings fantasy points. On the season, his best fantasy outing came in Week 2 vs. the 49ers, in which he scored 8.2 points.
How does the Vikings’ Week 7 matchup look?
Chandler’s performance as the impromptu RB1 against New York in Week 5 wasn’t a great one. The Jets rank 17th in rushing yards allowed per game this season, so it’s not like he was playing against an elite rush defense, either.
In Week 7, he’ll face a significantly better Lions defense which ranks third-best in yards allowed via the ground. Detroit’s defense is also eighth-best in points per game and 13th in total yards given up. Really, they’d be a negative matchup for nearly any running back.
Should Chandler be in your fantasy lineups?
There’s always an argument for starting any RB set to receive significant volume. It seems likely Chandler could have a pathway to most of the backfield work if Jones sits, sure, but it’s not a guarantee.
The Vikings reunited with halfback Cam Akers via trade on Oct. 15, and while he probably won’t receive the lion’s share of backfield duties, Akers is familiar with the playbook after spending time on the roster last season. This could very quickly become a committee, even if Jones misses time.
While Chandler flirted with FLEX-worthy fantasy numbers as a starter late last season, he’s probably not worth inserting into your lineup this week unless you’re truly desperate. The odds of a week-winning performance are slim.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
