Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Alexander Mattison

Thursday, September 21, 7:29 PM

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) told NFL on Prime reporter Taylor Rooks that he's in fact dealing with a "high-ankle sprain" to his right ankle and that not playing on Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers was simply a pain-tolerance issue. The Giants don't play again until Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4, but if he's indeed dealing with a high-ankle sprain, there's a good chance he won't play in that game, either. We'll have a better idea of Barkley's status for Week 4 next week, but fantasy managers expecting him to only miss one game should check their expectations. In Barkley's absence, Matt Breida should be lead dog, but the G-Men could also go with a RB committee with Breida, Gary Brightwell and rookie Eric Gray.

Friday, September 22, 4:38 PM

Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison will look to have a bounce-back effort in Week 3 as the Vikings host the Los Angeles Chargers. Mattison is coming off a Week 2 performance of eight carries for 28 yards and a fumble, but he looks like a solid RB2 option in an easier matchup than last week. The Chargers have allowed 211 rushing yards through two weeks, so the 25-year-old should have an easier time finding some rushing lanes on Sunday. He has averaged just 3.3 yards per carry so far this season, so he may be dependent on heavy volume and touchdown production to have a solid fantasy performance. With Cam Akers not expected to play, Mattison could be in for a hefty workload in a game that could be one of the higher-scoring affairs on the Week 3 slate.