The Vikings made RB Cam Akers inactive for his first game with the team. So RB Alexander Mattison continued to dominate backfield usage. He took 20 carries for 93 yards and added a 5-32 receiving line on 7 targets. Mattison benefited from facing a weak Chargers D and from Minnesota running 83 offensive plays. But we'll have to assume he retains the clear backfield lead until/unless something changes. Week 4 holds a high-upside matchup with a Panthers D that has been run over so far this season.
Vikings RB Alexander Mattison out-carried Ty Chandler 11-3 in Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay. Mattison didn’t find much room to run, but he salvaged his day with an excellent individual effort on a goal-line receiving TD. Mattison also ran 22 routes to only 7 for Chandler, so there’s no concern over the passing-game role. Week 2 brings a tough matchup with Philly, but Mattison will remain an RB2. Keep Chandler stashed as a high-value handcuff.
Vikings RB Kene Nwangwu has been placed on IR. That knocks him out for at least the first four games of the season. Minnesota signed RB Myles Gaskin, who figures to serve as the No. 3 RB behind Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler.
The Vikings released RB DeWayne McBride. A favorite of some in the analytics community, McBride sunk to the seventh round of this spring's draft and didn't make any noise in August. He's miles away from fantasy relevance at the moment. Ty Chandler will open the season as Minnesota's No. 2 RB behind Alexander Mattison.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell highlighted RB Ty Chandler as a standout in Thursday night's preseason opener vs. the Seahawks. "I thought Ty Chandler jumped out, because any time he had the ball in his hand, very rarely was he tackled by the first defender," O'Connell said. Chandler finished with 11 carries for 41 yards and caught all four of his targets for 29 yards. He got three-down usage with the starters -- which did not include QB Kirk Cousins, RB Alexander Mattison, WR Justin Jefferson, or TE T.J. Hockenson. RB Kene Nwangu was also held out with an injury, while RB DeWayne McBride only spelled Chandler on occasion in the first half. It was a strong showing from Chandler and has him looking like the favorite to open the season as Minnesota's No. 2 RB behind Mattison.
Plenty of opportunities are available in the Vikings' backfield following the offseason release of long-time starter RB Dalvin Cook. Alexander Mattison figures to be the new lead back in Minnesota, but the competition remains open for the RB2 spot behind him. According to The Athletic's Alec Lewis, neither Kene Nwangwu nor Ty Chandler seem to be winning the battle. Lewis highlights "questions about their abilities in pass protection" as big red flags and adds that "it would not surprise [him] to see the Vikings take a shot on a veteran who has experience with a considerable early-down workload," given the large number of available backs on the open free agent market. This report provides far more questions than it answers. It helps to reaffirm that Mattison is secure in his role, but that's about it. Any sort of deeper read into this situation would be mere speculation, though we'll be sure to keep our ears to the ground should any information linking a veteran back to the Vikings arise.
None of the Vikings' backup RBs have stepped up in camp so far, according to The Athletic's Alec Lewis. RB Ty Chandler has "lacked consistency," RB DeWayne McBride "faces a tall task in trying to learn the offense in short order," and RB Kene Nwangwu is unlikely to "shoulder a massive load," Lewis writes. It continues to look like RB Alexander Mattison will handle a high percentage of Minnesota's backfield touches this season. We'll see if one of these other guys gets rolling -- or if the Vikings add a veteran to the backfield.
ESPN's Kevin Seifert writes that "all evidence suggests" that the Vikings will use RB Alexander Mattison "in the same every-down role that [Dalvin] Cook performed last season in coach Kevin O'Connell's offense." Cook played 72% of Minnesota's offensive snaps last year, averaging 15.5 carries and 3.3 targets per game. He ranked 12th among RBs in expected PPR points per game and 14th in actual PPR points per game. Mattison will return a nice profit for fantasy teams if he approximates that role. Seifert also believes that RB Ty Chandler is the favorite for the #2 job, ahead of RBs Kene Nwangwu and DeWayne McBride.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports that Vikings RB Kene Nwangwu is competing for the No. 2 spot behind Alexander Mattison, in the wake of the team releasing Dalvin Cook. "He frequently was used alongside [Kirk] Cousins in 11-on-11 snaps and could earn the spot depending on the development of Chandler and rookie DeWayne McBride," Lewis wrote after Wednesday's OTA practice. Nwangwu has just 28 offensive touches through two NFL seasons, operating almost solely as a kick returner. But he has been stellar in that role, averaging 28.3 yards per return and scoring three times. And his primary competition -- Chandler and McBride -- has six total NFL touches between them. So it's a trio we don't know much about. It's too early to get enthusiastic about Nwangwu, but the speedy RB is fine to mix in at the end of your best ball tournament drafts. In that format, he balances a low floor with the fact that he'll show up on relatively few rosters. So if Nwangwu does anything worthwhile, you'd get a boost not available to many other teams. See how we sort the Vikings RBs in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.
The Vikings are releasing RB Dalvin Cook, according to multiple reports. The move (or a trade) has been anticipated all offseason. His departure leaves Alexander Mattison as the top candidate to lead Minnesota's backfield, and there's big volume upside. Cook ranked 11th among RBs in opportunity share last season, the team's first under HC Kevin O'Connell. Ty Chandler, DeWayne McBride and Kene Nwangwu will compete for roles behind Mattison. Cook now hits the open market, ready to significantly alter the RB projections for some new team. Check our fantasy football RB rankings for updated numbers.
Vikings insider Chris Tomasson hears that the team is "open to trading" RB Alexander Mattison. He's entering the final year of his rookie deal, and no progress has been made on a contract extension. Of course, "open to trading" is much different from "likely to trade." We'll see if another team makes a legitimate offer for Mattison. A move out of Minnesota would be good news for his 2022 fantasy value. And it'd leave RBs Kene Nwangwu and rookie Ty Chandler behind Dalvin Cook on the depth chart.
The Vikings selected RB Ty Chandler in Round 5 of the NFL Draft. A 5th-year senior, Chandler transferred from Tennessee to North Carolina last year. “Ty Chandler came to Carolina with loads of potential and we thought he'd have a tremendous year," HC Mack Brown said. "That's exactly what he did. He grew into the offense with his combination of speed and quickness, and was extremely productive for us. Ty was also great in the locker room as an experienced presence and went on to be voted captain by his teammates.” Chandler does bring top-end, 4.38 speed — but he’s on the smallish side at 204 pounds. He also turns 24 prior to Week 1. He’ll likely start out as a practice squad guy with the Vikings likely to stick with Alexander Mattison and Kene Nwangwu behind Dalvin Cook.
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