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

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ANALYSIS: Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook leads in the NFL in rushing yards, so surely his backup doesn't have any standalone value in fantasy football, right?

Well, Alexander Mattison has finished with at least 50 rushing yards in four of the past six games, including an eight-carry, 52-yard against the Cowboys. He caught a two-yard pass as well.

If you have bye week issues, Mattison could be a justifiable start in a deep league against the Broncos. That's a game that the Vikings should theoretically dominate, and a big lead would mean chances for Mattison, who has consistently delivered on those chances.

But also, with the fantasy playoffs looming, Mattison is arguably the best handcuff in the league right now. If something should happen to Dalvin Cook, Mattison would instantly have a huge workload and would be an RB2 at worst. At some point, a savvy fantasy manager should evaluate their roster options and consider picking up someone with Mattison's upside to roster as a "break glass in case of emergency" guy. Maybe you can wait until after Minnesota's Week 12 bye for that, though you could miss out if you try to wait out the bye week.