Alexander Mattison’s Fantasy Outlook After Dalvin Cook’s Injury | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

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Fantasy managers are going to keep a close eye on Alexander Mattison after Dalvin Cook’s injury Sunday.

The Minnesota Vikings announced their Pro Bowl running back will miss the rest of the game against the Detroit Lions with a shoulder injury.

Cook was excellent before the injury with 96 rushing yards and one touchdown on 17 carries.

The six-year veteran is one of the most reliable and productive running backs in the real world and fantasy. He has averaged 1,652 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns per season since the start of 2019.

Fantasy managers are well aware of that consistent level of production. Cook had an average draft position of 6.0 coming into this season, per FantasyPros.

Durability has been a bit of an issue for Cook throughout his career. The 27-year-old has missed at least two games in each of his first five seasons.

Depth at running back is always important for fantasy managers, but especially with a player who has a long injury history.

Mattison is a quality option to target if you are in need of a potential replacement. He has been a consistent part of Minnesota’s offense since being selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

Depending on your fantasy league, Mattison might be readily available on the waiver wire. He’s rostered in 53 percent of Yahoo leagues but only 38 percent of ESPN leagues, per FantasyPros.

A big part of Mattison’s value last season came from how much of a factor he was in the passing game. The Boise State alum had more targets (39) and receptions (32) in 2021 than in the previous two years combined (23 receptions on 27 targets).

Of course, Mattison has also proved himself to be a productive runner when he gets the opportunity to be the No. 1 guy for the Vikings. In three starts last season, he averaged 105 rushing yards and 24.3 carries per game.

Given how often Kirk Cousins tends to throw to his checkdown options, Mattison should have no problem being a big factor in Minnesota’s passing game with Cook out of the lineup.

When Mattison is getting starter snaps, he has the upside of a No. 1 fantasy running back each week. He proved that last season in a three-game sample when Cook was unavailable.