With Alexander Mattison exiting Week 10’s contest against the Saints with a concussion, Ty Chandler filled in to deliver 45 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Chandler may get the bulk of the work if Mattison remains out next week, but at only three yards per carry against the Saints, would he be a trustworthy fantasy Week 11 streaming option?
WHO IS TY CHANDLER?
During the 2022 NFL Draft, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay declared that the Vikings “got a starting running back” in the fifth round.
Minnesota added some speed to its backfield with Chandler’s 4.38 40-yard dash and 92nd percentile speed score — an element that they were missing with an aging Dalvin Cook and the plodding Alexander Mattison.
Despite this, he hasn’t been able to earn a starting role, at least in the eyes of Kevin O’Connell’s coaching staff. O’Connell even thought it better to trade for Cam Akers, who had yet to prove he could reach his pre-Achilles tear potential, making Chandler a distant third on the running back depth chart.
What may be lost in the fray, though, is that Chandler and Mattison split 16 carries a piece down the middle through three quarters and found the end zone while Mattison was still in the game.
Not everyone hits their stride in the pros right away, and maybe all Chandler needed was a real opportunity to make a name for himself.
So, maybe Chandler’s Week 10 role, even before Mattison exited, is a sign of things to come for the second year back.
TY CHANDLER WEEK 11 FANTASY OUTLOOK
If Mattison remains sidelined and Chandler finds his groove, there’s no better opponent to enable a breakout performance than the Denver Broncos and their league-worst run defense that’s allowing 5.4 yards per carry.
With Kene Nwangwu only seeing two carries of his own against the Saints, the only roadblock to Chandler seeing the vast majority of the backfield work in a Mattison-less running back room would be a surprising chunk of usage to rookie DeWayne McBride, who would very likely be called up from the practice squad.
In this scenario, Chandler should be a safe RB2 streaming option based on projected rushing volume and defensive opponent alone, and any receiving work would be a bonus.
Stay locked into The Wolf’s Week 11 Rankings throughout the week to get a feel for where Ty Chandler will land as injury updates roll in for Mattison.
