Vikings backup RBs underwhelming

None of the Vikings' backup RBs have stepped up in camp so far, according to The Athletic's Alec Lewis. RB Ty Chandler has "lacked consistency," RB DeWayne McBride "faces a tall task in trying to learn the offense in short order," and RB Kene Nwangwu is unlikely to "shoulder a massive load," Lewis writes. It continues to look like RB Alexander Mattison will handle a high percentage of Minnesota's backfield touches this season. We'll see if one of these other guys gets rolling -- or if the Vikings add a veteran to the backfield.

There was a lot of chatter entering Week 16 surrounding the potential increase in Vikings RB Ty Chandler’s workload. Sunday’s game against the Lions didn’t see the second-year back dominate in the box score (8 carries, 17 rushing yards), though there is some good news that came from the contest. Chandler did find the end zone, which salvaged his fantasy contributions to a small degree, and teammate Alexander Mattison was almost completely uninvolved (2 carries, -1 yard). It’s clear that HC Kevin Stefanski’s comments from earlier in the week proved to be truthful. Chandler has certainly become the Vikings' RB1. Fantasy managers who survived and advanced to Week 17 should be comfortable going back to Chandler in lineups. The Packers rank 23rd in run defense DVOA this season and as the 10th-best RB matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed. It’s a good spot for him to net low-end RB2/flex-level value.

On Wednesday, ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported that Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell spoke firmly about RB Ty Chandler being the team's primary back. "We're kind of building with the mindset that [Chandler] is going to be a guy we're trying to get the ball to a lot, both in the run and the pass," said O'Connell, adding that the potential availability of RB Alexander Mattison (ankle) will "be a huge bonus for the depth" at the position. It doesn't take much reading of the tea leaves to gather that Mattison has lost a grip on leading this backfield in touches whenever he returns from injury. Managers in season-long formats who picked up Chandler off of the waiver wire should be thrilled about his prospects of yielding a significant workload in Week 16 vs. the Lions, and seemingly beyond. See where Chandler lands in our latest RB rankings.

Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Monday that RB Ty Chandler "is absolutely a guy that is going to see a featured, featured role in our offense." Chandler gave the Vikings their best rushing performance of the season in Saturday's loss to the Bengals, ripping off 132 yards and a score on 23 carries. We'll see whether RB Alexander Mattison can make it back from his ankle injury for this weekend's game vs. the Lions, but it sounds like we should expect Chandler to lead the backfield regardless. He, of course, will be a much stronger fantasy play if Mattison remains out.

Vikings RB Ty Chandler logged 15 carries for 45 rushing yards and a TD in Week 10 vs. the Saints. It was reasonable to assume the second-year back would elevate into some sort of committee role with fellow RB Cam Akers out for the rest of 2023 with a torn Achilles. But with lead runner Alexander Mattison leaving in the third quarter of the contest with a concussion, it’s possible that fantasy managers could be looking at an incredible waiver wire target in Chandler. He played well on Sunday, is currently the healthiest RB in Minnesota, and the Vikings are set to take on a Broncos defense in Week 11 that ranks 31st in run defense DVOA this season. Be sure to look for his name when making claims in the coming days.

Does Cam Akers' Achilles' tear mean that Vikings RB Ty Chandler is about to get a big boost in work? HC Kevin O'Connell said this week: “Hopefully, we’ll be able to get Ty [Chandler] more involved and kind of assume a little bit more of kind of that role Cam was assuming.” That stops short of saying Chandler will take over a role that afforded Akers just 11 touches per game even over his busiest three-game stretch since arriving. Of course, it's also important to remember that Chandler was already with the team -- and had been since Minnesota drafted him last year -- when the Vikings acquired Akers and shoved him into the No. 2 role. Chandler has yet to garner more than 4 touches in a game this season. We'll certainly bet on that increasing the rest of the way. But O'Connell also mentioned Kene Nwangwu in the answer about Chandler's role, noting Nwangwu's experience and "juice." He added that the team is likely to take a "committee approach" and "kinda ride he hot hand." You should expect Mattison to remain the clear leader of what has been one of the league's weakest backfields (26th in PPR points per game, 26th in rushing yards). He's a bottom-level RB2 candidate going forward. Chandler is fine to stash on deep benches in case he surprises. And Nwangwu can be stashed in deep leagues. There's likely not a season-altering player among this trio, though. Check the Free Agent Finder to see if any makes sense for your fantasy football team.