Alexander

Mattison

Mattison hopes to play again but is “still recovering.” The 28-year-old, an impending free agent, likely won’t be on radars for the first wave of free agency. Once he’s cleared to play, it’s possible he finds work ahead of training camp.

Mattison left the field under his own power in Sunday’s game, and it was reported after the game that the veteran running back had suffered a neck injury. We now know that Mattison was taken by ambulance to the hospital after the injury and underwent surgery the same day. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Mattison had a full range of motion, but he will now land on season-ending injured reserve after reportedly carving out a role for himself in camp. It’s a tough end to the season for a player who was hoping to bounce back following a disappointing 2024 season with the Raiders.

Kelly adds that Mattison is “not in concussion protocol currently, [but that] doesn’t mean he won’t be.” Mattison landed hard on his head and neck while being tackled. Before that, he rushed three times for eight yards and one touchdown and caught 1-of-2 targets for 21 yards.

De’Von Achane fantasy managers will cringe, but it would arguably be worse for Jaylen Wright, who has supposedly been pushing for short-yardage work. According to Graziano, Mattison has reportedly “opened a lot of eyes in camp,” which sounds like the opening line to a fantasy football horror story. Tyreek Hill recently called out Achane for not being an ideal goal-line/short-yardage back, which is hard to disagree with when you consider Achane converted just three of his 14 carries inside the five-yard line into touchdowns last season. Mattison vulturing goal-line scores would hurt his teammates’ fantasy value without really creating any of his own. It’s far too early to panic, but this is something worth keeping in mind as we draw closer to fantasy draft season.

Fantasy managers taking late-round stabs on Wright this season will be happy to hear this. The speedy second-year back said he “lost a lot of body fat” this offseason while gaining “a lot of muscle” and estimating that he’s put on roughly six pounds. It’s a marginal increase, but one that Wright clearly hopes will help him better manage his second year in the pros as he’s expected to take on a bigger role with Raheem Mostert now out of the way. Wright rushed 68 times for 249 scoreless yards last season and posted a 9-6-0 rushing line over his final five games of the season, buried behind Mostert and unsigned free agent Jeff Wilson. Wright will hopefully have more value this season, but with Alexander Mattison and sixth-rounder Ollie Gordon also on board, little is guaranteed to the second-year back.

The Raiders and Dolphins effectively trade backup running backs with Raheem Mostert headed to Vegas. The Dolphins had just two running backs rostered, both of whom possess elite speed and agility but perhaps lack physicality. The 5-foot-11, 220-pound Mattison fills that need. He is unlikely to assume a voluminous rushing role but could perhaps be annoying for De’Von Achane’s fantasy value in a goal-to-go role.

Mattison joined the Raiders on a one-year contract this offseason after struggling mightily as the Vikings starter in their first season post-Dalvin Cook. He opened 2024 as Zamir White’s backup but quickly worked his way into a committee and eventually took over as the starter. Mattison topped 15 touches five times and hit 60 yards from scrimmage on six occasions. On the other hand, he went over 70 total yards just once. Like White before him, Mattison was out-played by his backup down the stretch and lost work to Ameer Abdullah in the final month of the season. Abdullah had fully supplanted him as the top option before a foot injury ended his season a week early. An impending free agent, Mattison’s days as a starting running back are at an end. He will look for a backup job on the open market in the spring.

Mattison took most of his carries late in the fourth quarter after Ameer Abdullah left the game with a foot injury and he figures to be in line for a much bigger workload next week if Abdullah is unable to go. However, the 26-year-old was completely ineffective when he touched the ball with a long run of just six yards. He would not be a recommended play in fantasy leagues next week, even if Abdullah is out.

Even with the touchdown, Mattison was easily outperformed by Ameer Abdullah, as Abdullah was able to procure 85 total yards and a score himself. Those who were forced to play Mattison at least got the touchdown, but outside of that was ineffective against the Jacksonville front seven. Mattison should remain the starter, but there should be much better options in fantasy in Week 17 against New Orleans.

Sincere McCormick earned the start for the second consecutive week before bowing out in the second quarter with an ankle injury he initially attempted to play through, after which time Mattison served as the primary rusher to little effect. The team rotated pass-catching specialist Ameer Abdullah through at an elevated rate considering the negative game environment, who amassed 58 yards through the air on seven receptions to go along with eight yards on three carries. There is little fantasy value in a backfield averaging the fewest rush yards per game this season, regardless of McCormick’s status moving forward.