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OWNED IN: 21% of Leagues
ANALYSIS: The Minnesota Vikings running game was out in full force in Week 1 and rookie running back Alexander Mattison played a big part in it. In his NFL debut, Mattison had nine carries for 49 yards, averaging a solid 5.4 yards per carry.
Dalvin Cook was of course the star of the show for the Vikings, carrying the ball 21 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns. However, you'd have to imagine the Vikings don't want to lean on their oft-injured running back for 20+ carries every week. That means that Mattison could be in store for a heavier workload going forward if he continues to have success.
Last year, Latavius Murray saw 140 carries as Cook's backup and delivered 578 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Those are numbers that Mattison could easily match if Cook misses a few games - he's missed a total of 17 in his first two years.
Add Mattison in leagues of 14 teams or deeper and keep him on your radar in more shallow leagues. He's fantasy gold if Cook goes down and even with a healthy Cook, he could be startable in the right matchup - Oakland in Week 3 certainly comes to mind.
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