Alexander Mattison

After four years of backing up Dalvin Cook, Mattison will get his starting shot this season as Cook was released in June. Still only 25, Mattison should have fresh legs thanks to a light workload over the years -- in fact, he had career-low 89 touches last year because Cook stayed healthy for a full season for the first time. While Mattison lacks breakaway speed (4.67 40, career 4.1 YPC), he's familiar with the offense, has the frame to handle large workloads (215 pounds) and even boasts a strong track record as a receiver (career catch rate of 83.3 percent at 6.3 YPT). He also has just two fumbles on 474 career touches, so he's as good as anyone at protecting the ball. Rookie seventh-round pick DeWayne McBride might have something on Mattison as a pure runner, but McBride has no history as a pass catcher and fumbled five times in 2022 alone. That should help ensure Mattison is a three-down back.

For the third consecutive season, Mattison served as a solid backup to Dalvin Cook, stepping into the starting role and mostly posting solid numbers on big-time volume when the Vikings’ starter was sidelined. A shaky Minnesota offensive line hurt Mattison's efficiency on the ground and contributed to a career-low 3.7 YPC, as only three other backs with at least 100 carries averaged less than Mattison's 1.7 yards per carry before contact. He made up for it by earning more trust as a receiving option, with 32 catches more than doubling his old career high. Heading into the final season of his rookie contract, Mattison's spot on the depth chart behind Cook doesn't figure to change, but the use of both backs could be slightly different with former Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell replacing Mike Zimmer as head coach.

As the backup to Dalvin Cook, a bell cow who mostly stayed healthy last season, Mattison earned more than half his scrimmage yards in two games. The first was Week 5, when Cook's quad injury opened the door for a 112-yard rushing performance by his backup. But even then, the Week 5 contest ended with Mattison missing a hole on 4th-and-short, and he then managed just 30 total yards as the starter the next week. Cook returned after that and stayed healthy the rest of the season, though he missed Week 17 for personal reasons and Mattison responded with 145 total yards and two touchdowns. In between those big performances, the Boise State product saw little action and reached double-digit carries in only two other contests. A solidly built runner with burst and power, Mattison doesn't have the speed or elusiveness to be a big-play threat or the skills to be a reliable every-down asset, but he fits Mike Zimmer's smash-mouth offensive philosophy and has shown he can help keep the chains moving when Cook is unavailable.

Mattison was a solid complement to Dalvin Cook in the Minnesota backfield after being a third-round draft pick in 2019, but it's possible that might be Mattison's effective ceiling. Power and burst allow him to hit holes hard, and improved play last season from the interior of Minnesota's offensive line gave the rookie room to run. Mattison didn't add much as a receiver (aside from a strong Week 13 showing against Seattle), but he did show decent hands in college and could be reasonably effective if he were used more often as an outlet option for Kirk Cousins. What Mattison doesn't have is speed or elusiveness to consistently get away from tacklers once he breaks through to the second level, and three of his four longest runs of the year came in the fourth quarter of games where the Vikings held multi-score leads. For a player brought in to provide insurance in case Cook got hurt again, it was also discouraging that Mattison was sidelined at the same time as Cook the final two weeks, opening the door for Mike Boone to make a splash. Cook's summer holdout put all eyes on Mattison, but Cook ended up reporting for the start of training camp.

The Vikings surprised some by nabbing Mattison, a projected Day 3 pick, late in the third round of the 2019 draft. It isn't too hard to see what caught the team's attention, especially considering the trouble Dalvin Cook has had staying healthy. Mattison was a workhorse at Boise State, and his three-down skill set and stout frame (5-11, 221) should allow him to step straight into a starting role if necessary. He doesn't have plus speed or elusiveness and might not be a big-play threat, but he attacks holes with power, burst and balance, and he gets to the second level consistently even if he doesn't do a lot of damage once there. Even if Cook stays healthy, Minnesota could elect to use Mattison in short-yardage spots and at the goal line, and a lack of competition on the depth chart - Mike Boone, Ameer Abdullah and Roc Thomas are the other reserve running backs - points toward some carries for the rookie. But considering Cook's propensity for injury, Mattison should be on the fantasy radar.