Alexander Mattison (RB, MIN) - Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 22% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: We’re in prime handcuffing season, folks. No matter the league you play in, most of the great options will be already off the board, so you have to take advantage of everything with a minimum value that you can get for free. Enter Alexander Mattison, who incredible is only owned in fewer than one-fourth of Yahoo leagues. Just in case you have forgotten, Mattison is Dalvin Cook’s backup, and Dalvin Cook has yet to complete a full season in the NFL. We can be this close to him getting injured. And you know what will happen next.

Even if Cook doesn’t get injured, Mattison has been quite an efficient rusher this season by himself. He’s had five games of 50-plus yards and another one of 49. He’s averaging 35.8 yards per game, and 4.8 per carry on around 7.5 attempts per game. And even with such low usage, he scored himself a touchdown back in Week 3.

While Mattison’s floor is obviously a zero in games he isn’t featured or barely plays, his upside is up to more than 10 fantasy points. Perhaps the most encouraging thing about getting Mattison now is the Vikings ROS. Not in Week 13 (Seattle ranks 13th against opposing RBs) but from weeks 14 to 16, which is to say the fantasy playoffs span, Minnesota will go against Detroit (31st), the Chargers (25th), and Green Bay (30th). If any of those games turn into a blowout victory (the first two easily could) then Mattison might see a heavy workload with Cook resting for the real-NFL potential playoff games.

If you have the slightest of holes in your roster and any free spot, give Mattison a serious thought. Cook might not get injured but he’s shown enough as to know he would provide value if given the chance and the schedule can’t be better for Minnesota’s rushers.