Who Should I Start? Alexander Mattison or Jaylen Waddle

Monday, October 28, 10:15 AM

Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison seemed to have wrested control of the lead running back role for his team in their Week 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He was highly inefficient with his touches, though. He carried the ball 14 times for 15 yards (a paltry 1.1 yards per carry), and caught five passes on five targets for 29 yards. Most notably, he rushed for two yards, no gain, and negative-two yards after Las Vegas took possession due to an interception by opposing QB Patrick Mahomes II. The goal-line stand took away Mattison's best chance at scoring a touchdown. The majority of his fantasy value appears to be tied to PPR points from high target volume, but he'll have an easier matchup in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals and profiles as a FLEX option in deeper leagues.

Sunday, October 27, 8:10 PM

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle caught four of six targets for 45 yards in Sunday's 28-27 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's (concussion) return, Waddle came into this game with WR2 expectations and did not deliver. The good news is that the offense looked exponentially better than the previous four weeks, scoring their highest total of the season. Waddle has yet to find the end zone and hasn't topped 50 yards since Week 1. However, better days are ahead for Waddle, with Miami's schedule presenting several favorable offensive matchups. Next week's matchup against the Buffalo Bills will be one of their toughest tests in the back half of the 2024 season.