Alexander Mattison (RB, MIN) - Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: I refused to believe what happened in Minnesota during their Week 1 game against the Falcons. The Vikings won their season-opener 28-12 with a shocking 10-38 pass-run split on offense. Those numbers belong to the 1970s, not the current football era. Indeed, Week 2 was very different and although Minnesota still relied heavily on the ground game (27 rush attempts to 32 pass attempts), it wasn't that extreme. Obviously, in both Week 1 and Week 2, Dalvin Cook got all of the attention for his 111 and 154 respective yards running, but things are also looking good for rookie running back Alexander Mattison.

It is easy to pass on Mattison given his situation. He's the backup to one of the top-five rushers in the league, and Cook has a legitimate chance at finishing the season as the RB1 overall. But Minnesota spent a third round draft pick on Mattison, probably because of Cook's health concerns and the high chance he gets injured as the season rolls along.

On a limited--as expected--usage, Mattison has already rushed nine and four times in the first two weeks of the season for 49 and 25 yards respectively. Those averages of 5.4 and  6.3 yards per attempt aren't bad. He has also been able to pull off long runs on both games with a 23-yarder against Atlanta and a 14-yard attempt versus the Packers this weekend. He has yet to be targeted, but that is not his game nor what Minnesota seems to have in its gameplan.

There are not many players worth using as a handcuff more than him and he should be a definite stash target in your deep league. I am betting everything on Cook having a monster season and finishing atop the ranks in a full 16-game season, but I won't believe it until I see it. The very moment Cook falls down injured there will be fights out there to pick up Mattison, so you'd be wise picking him now before any other GM does so.