Start Alexander Mattison vs. Jamaal Williams vs. Rachaad White vs. James Cook | Fantasy Football Week 2 Start Decision
Week 2 of the NFL season is closing in quickly and fantasy owners are trying to determine the best lineups for the week.
The FantasySP “Who Should I Start tool is loaded with trending decisions at the running back position. Minnesota Vikings' Alexander Mattison is part of several of the decisions, so I’m here to help you determine if you should start Mattison. The running backs we’ll be comparing him to are Buffalo Bills’ James Cook, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Rachaad White and New Orleans Saints’ Jamaal Williams.
Tough start decision? We have you covered. Find out in depth stats, red zone opportunities, projections, breaking news, and crowdsourcing real fantasy owners faced with the same start/sit decision. Check out our Who Should I Start tool.
Why You Should Start Alexander Mattison
Mattison and the Vikings’ running game didn’t do a whole lot in a week one loss to the Buccaneers. Mattison attempted just 11 runs, gaining 34 yards and one first down for his team. He caught three passes for 10 yards and a touchdown to help bail out owners who started him.
Mattison played 47 snaps, with three of his attempts on the ground coming in the red zone. C.J. Ham was the back used most after Mattison at 22 snaps, while Ty Chandler was limited to 11 snaps. Only Chandler got carries, tallying three for the game and none in the red zone.
Most of the numbers are favorable ones for Mattison, but the most important ones (rushing yards and attempts) weren’t. Quarterback Kirk Cousins attempted a whopping 44 passes in the opener, despite the Vikings never trailing by more than seven all game.
The Vikings simply didn’t run the ball well, and things don’t look any better in week 2 as the team goes up against the talented Philadelphia Eagles. Philly allowed 76 rushing yards on 22 attempts in week 1. The Vikings are also going to be short-handed on the offensive line, with Garrett Bradbury out and Christian Darrisaw questionable.
Why You Should Start James Cook
Cook dominated the rush attempts for Buffalo in the opener, toting the ball 12 times for 46 yards. He also caught four of his six targets for 17 yards. The Bills attempted 15 rushes as a team.
Cook played in 41 of the team’s offensive snaps, which accounted for about 60% of the team’s plays. Cook didn’t get a single carry in the red zone, although Buffalo struggled mightily just to get there. Latavius Murray was the next back in snaps at 16, while Damien Harris played nine snaps.
Buffalo gets the Las Vegas Raiders in week 2. The Raiders allowed 94 yards on 22 carries in the opener to the Denver Broncos.
Cook’s offensive line is in much better shape than Mattison’s with just Mitch Morse on the injury list, and he was a full participant in practice.
Why You Should Start Rachaad White
White was held in check in his matchup against the Vikings in week 1, gaining just 39 yards on 17 carries. He had a long run of just 6 yards. White caught both passes thrown his way for 10 yards.
White was on the field for 54 snaps, which was just under 80% of the total snaps. He had two rushing attempts in the red zone. Sean Tucker was the second most-used back in snaps at 10, while Chase Edmonds had just eight.
White and the Bucs face the Chicago Bears in week 2. In the opener, Chicago allowed 92 yards and a touchdown on 32 attempts. Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Jones accumulated 127 yards from scrimmage on 11 touches.
White and the Tampa Bay offense head into week 2 about as healthy as can be, with only quarterback Baker Mayfield on the injury report. Mayfield practiced in full to start the practice week.
Why You Should Start Jamaal Williams
Williams was held to just 45 yards on 18 rushing attempts in his debut game with the Saints. He added two receptions for 7 yards. Three of the carries came in the red zone.
Williams dominated the snaps in the RB room with Alvin Kamara out because of his suspension and rookie Kendre Miller out with an injury. Williams was on the field for 49 snaps, which was about 75% of the team’s total plays. Fullback Adam Prentice played 11 snaps, and Trey Jones saw the field for only seven snaps.
With Kamara still suspended and Miller still working his way back from the injury, Williams might again dominate the touches and snaps this coming week. The Saints play the Carolina Panthers in week 2. Carolina allowed 130 yards and two touchdowns on 26 attempts to the Atlanta Falcons in the opener.
Williams is the Recommended Start
Williams is the top-ranked running back among the four backs we're discussing in FantasySP’s week 2 projections at 10th overall and I would start Williams over any of the other three. He should handle a big workload again, which should make his projections of 21 attempts, 55 yards and 0.5 touchdowns as not only achievable, but ones he should zoom past.
I like Cook and White about the same this week. Cook is the 14th-ranked back and has projections of 13 carries, 61 yards and 0.4 touchdowns, with an additional 2.8 catches on four targets for 15 yards as a receiver. White is ranked 16th and is projected at 14 carries, 58 yards and 0.4 touchdowns, with three targets, 2.9 catches and 17 yards as a receiver. If I had to choose one, I’d follow the rankings and give the edge to Cook.
Mattison is not a back I’m high on for week 2. The Vikings might try to be a bit more balanced this week, especially on a short week, but I think Minnesota will have to pass quite a bit to keep up with Philly, which hurts Mattison’s stock. The Vikings’ back is ranked 30th at the position and is projected for eight attempts, 26 yards and 0.1 touchdowns, with three targets, 2.1 catches, 8 yards and 0.6 touchdowns in the passing game.
