It’s that time of year once again! Football Absurdity will bring you a breakdown of every notable fantasy football-relevant player throughout June, July, and August. We continue with the running backs. Today, we take a look at a running back who has been one of the top-flight handcuffs for several years running. What can we expect from Alexander Mattison in 2022 fantasy football leagues?
Alexander Mattison ADP and AAV:
Average Draft Position: RB41, 117 overall
Average Auction Value: $1.3
Alexander Mattison Statistics:
| Year | G | GS | Rush | Ru Yds | Ru TD | Tgt | Rec | Yards | TD | Touches | Opp | Total Yards |
| 2021 | 16 | 4 | 134 | 491 | 3 | 39 | 32 | 228 | 1 | 166 | 173 | 719 |
| 2020 | 13 | 2 | 96 | 434 | 2 | 15 | 13 | 125 | 1 | 109 | 111 | 559 |
| 2019 | 13 | 0 | 100 | 462 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 82 | 0 | 110 | 112 | 544 |
| Year | YPC | Rush/G | Ru Yd/G | Tgt/G | Rec/G | Catch% | Yds/Tgt | Yds/Rec | Touches/G | Opp/G | Yds/G |
| 2021 | 3.66 | 8.4 | 30.7 | 2.44 | 2.00 | 82.1% | 5.85 | 7.13 | 10.38 | 10.81 | 44.9 |
| 2020 | 4.52 | 7.4 | 33.4 | 1.15 | 1.00 | 86.7% | 8.33 | 9.62 | 8.38 | 8.54 | 43.00 |
| 2019 | 4.62 | 7.7 | 35.5 | 0.92 | 0.77 | 83.3% | 6.83 | 8.20 | 8.46 | 8.62 | 41.85 |
| Year | Std Pts | HPPR Pts | PPR Pts | Pts/G | HPPR Pts/G | PPR Pts/G | Pts/Tch | HPPR Pts/Tch | PPR Pts/Tch |
| 2021 | 93.9 | 109.9 | 125.9 | 5.87 | 6.87 | 7.9 | 0.57 | 0.66 | 0.76 |
| 2020 | 73.9 | 80.4 | 86.9 | 5.68 | 6.18 | 6.7 | 0.68 | 0.74 | 0.80 |
| 2019 | 58.4 | 63.4 | 68.4 | 4.49 | 4.88 | 5.26 | 0.53 | 0.58 | 0.62 |
2022 Alexander Mattison Fantasy Football Overview:
When we think of Alexander Mattison, we think about him as the league’s best handcuff, the Toby Gerhart to Dalvin Cook’s Adrian Peterson. He has been useful in that regard recently, starting six games over the last two years. But, unfortunately, he hasn’t held any standalone value in fantasy football leagues, and that made me wonder if he was worth the effort in drafting him. Unfortunately, he’s had almost no value in games where Dalvin Cook plays, averaging just 26 yards per game on seven opportunities per game.
But, he could have some of that this season should the new head coaching staff decide that Dalvin Cook should be around for all seventeen games instead of getting run into the ground. Mattison’s been good when he has been given the opportunities, getting at least 90 rushing yards in all games where he’s gotten at least 15 carries.
2022 Alexander Mattison Fantasy Football Draft Strategy:
Alexander Mattison Salary Cap Value: $2
Draft Ranking: Find out for your league settings in a Beersheet! (coming in early July)
So, we are looking at a running back who could potentially have additional opportunities, but his draft price hasn’t changed to reflect that possibility. He’s RB40 off the board in snake drafts (pick 117 overall), and just $1 in salary cap drafts. That is a minimal investment in a guy who could have massive output in the case of a Dalvin Cook injury. He also could finally have standalone value if the new-look Vikings coaching staff decides to not ride Dalvin Cook into the ground, and instead to let him and Mattison share the workload.
At RB40, that’s something I’m willing to check out. After all, worst case scenario you know you have a good stash candidate on your bench. His prospects have potentially opened up, but the way he’s regarded and therefore, his ADP stayed the same. That’s something to exploit in your drafts. If it becomes clear off the bat that he won’t be a player who gets more opportunities on a weekly basis, just flip him to the Dalvin Cook manager for someone near the bottom of his bench. After all, Mattison is worth more to them than you.
Or just cut him.
Best Case Scenario:
Dalvin and James Cook both retire from the NFL to start Cooks Cook, an NFL-themed restaurant in Omaha, clearing the path for Alexander Mattison.
Worst Case Scenario:
Dalvin Cook finally plays a full season, and Mattison languishes away on your bench.
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[Statistics are sourced from pro-football-reference.com, airyards.com, and ftnfantasy.com]
Image Source: Alexander Mattison on Twitter
