Fantasy Football

Two of the top running backs in the league suffered injuries Sunday, which could have fantasy football managers scrambling to the waiver wire.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Carolina Panthers star Christian McCaffrey is done for the year because of an ankle injury he suffered during Sunday's loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Rapoport also reported Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook suffered a dislocated shoulder and torn labrum during his team's loss to the Minnesota Vikings but could return as soon as a Week 15 matchup with the Chicago Bears.

That means any fantasy football manager fortunate enough to land Alexander Mattison on the waiver wire will have a running back who can immediately help replace the lost production of Cook or McCaffrey.

The Vikings have not hesitated to use Mattison as a primary back when Cook has been sidelined and will surely do the same until their two-time Pro Bowler is ready to return. 

The third-year back had 26 carries during a September win over the Seattle Seahawks and 25 carries during an October victory over the Detroit Lions when Cook was out, going over 110 rushing yards both times. He also combined for 13 catches on 15 targets in those two games, highlighting his ability to stay on the field for all three downs as a points-per-reception-league weapon.

Mattison is the clear-cut top option on the waiver wire this week, but he isn't the only running back who stands out.

Much like Cook's injury clears the way for more playing time for Mattison, McCaffrey's does the same for Chuba Hubbard and Ameer Abdullah in Carolina.

Hubbard will likely step into the role of primary back just like he did earlier this year when the two-time All-Pro was sidelined. The Oklahoma State product had double-digit carries six games in a row during a stretch in September and October, including when he tallied 24 carries on two separate occasions against the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons.

Any running back who could see that type of usage is worth waiver-wire consideration, especially one who surpassed the century mark in rushing yards against the Eagles.

Abdullah isn't as obvious of a selection as Hubbard, but he is worth consideration in PPR leagues.

The 28-year-old has seen at least four targets in four of the last five games, including six during Sunday's loss. Cam Newton didn't hesitate to look his way as a safety valve, and his time on the field should only increase without McCaffrey there to receive the majority of the targets out of the backfield.

An injury in Philadelphia could also clear the way for more playing time for Boston Scott, making him another potential waiver-wire candidate.

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters that Miles Sanders was limited near the end of Sunday's loss to the New York Giants because of an ankle injury. Scott finished the game with 64 yards and a touchdown on the ground and is an enticing short-term option considering Philadelphia plays the New York Jets on Sunday.

It wouldn't be a surprise if the Eagles jumped out to a lead against the 3-8 Jets, and they could then turn to Scott as they work the clock and look to bounce back from the performance against the Giants.

Fantasy players can also turn toward the rotating backfield of the Tennessee Titans for potential options after Dontrell Hilliard ran for 131 yards and a touchdown and D'Onta Foreman added 109 rushing yards during Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots.

The thought here is Hilliard should be the priority of the two because of his ability to contribute in the passing attack. He saw 10 targets during the Titans' Week 11 loss to the Houston Texans, catching eight for 47 yards, and should continue to play a role on third down because of his receiving ability.

Minnesota Vikings star Dalvin Cook was carted off the field during the third quarter of Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers. Backup Alexander Mattison will see an uptick in fantasy value until Cook is available to return to the field.

Cook has been one of the most productive fantasy running backs in the league this season when healthy, as he has registered 734 rushing yards, 138 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

If the Florida State product is forced to miss time, Mattison will step into the starting role and become one of the hottest commodities in fantasy.

Last season, Cook enjoyed a career year with 1,557 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground, plus 44 receptions for 361 yards and one score.

Injuries have been an issue for Cook throughout his career, though, and that was the case once again in 2020 when he missed two games.

Mattison started the two games Cook was out and appeared in 13 games total, registering 434 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with 13 grabs for 125 yards and one receiving touchdown on the season.

Now, in the middle of his third NFL season, Mattison has racked up 48 rushing yards, 142 receiving yards and one touchdown entering Sunday. Though Mattison has seen a limited role to this point, he was able to find the end zone in Week 12:

With Cook struggling through injuries over the first few years of his career, the Vikings decided to take the Boise State product in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft as an insurance policy.

That turned out to be a prudent decision, as the 23-year-old has been productive in a backup role to this point in his career.

While Mattison isn't as big of a threat as Cook in the passing game and doesn't have as high of a ceiling, his floor is higher than most running backs in fantasy for as long as he gets starter reps.

The running game is as big of a part of Minnesota's offense as any team in the league, meaning whoever has the starting job is a must-start player in fantasy.

Mattison should be owned in all leagues even when Cook is healthy because of the value he brings when Cook is out, and it stands to reason that he could produce low-end RB1 or high-end RB2 numbers until his teammate returns.