Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports that Vikings RB Kene Nwangwu is competing for the No. 2 spot behind Alexander Mattison, in the wake of the team releasing Dalvin Cook. "He frequently was used alongside [Kirk] Cousins in 11-on-11 snaps and could earn the spot depending on the development of Chandler and rookie DeWayne McBride," Lewis wrote after Wednesday's OTA practice. Nwangwu has just 28 offensive touches through two NFL seasons, operating almost solely as a kick returner. But he has been stellar in that role, averaging 28.3 yards per return and scoring three times. And his primary competition -- Chandler and McBride -- has six total NFL touches between them. So it's a trio we don't know much about. It's too early to get enthusiastic about Nwangwu, but the speedy RB is fine to mix in at the end of your best ball tournament drafts. In that format, he balances a low floor with the fact that he'll show up on relatively few rosters. So if Nwangwu does anything worthwhile, you'd get a boost not available to many other teams. See how we sort the Vikings RBs in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.
The Vikings are releasing RB Dalvin Cook, according to multiple reports. The move (or a trade) has been anticipated all offseason. His departure leaves Alexander Mattison as the top candidate to lead Minnesota's backfield, and there's big volume upside. Cook ranked 11th among RBs in opportunity share last season, the team's first under HC Kevin O'Connell. Ty Chandler, DeWayne McBride and Kene Nwangwu will compete for roles behind Mattison. Cook now hits the open market, ready to significantly alter the RB projections for some new team. Check our fantasy football RB rankings for updated numbers.
Vikings insider Chris Tomasson hears that the team is "open to trading" RB Alexander Mattison. He's entering the final year of his rookie deal, and no progress has been made on a contract extension. Of course, "open to trading" is much different from "likely to trade." We'll see if another team makes a legitimate offer for Mattison. A move out of Minnesota would be good news for his 2022 fantasy value. And it'd leave RBs Kene Nwangwu and rookie Ty Chandler behind Dalvin Cook on the depth chart.
The Vikings selected RB Ty Chandler in Round 5 of the NFL Draft. A 5th-year senior, Chandler transferred from Tennessee to North Carolina last year. “Ty Chandler came to Carolina with loads of potential and we thought he'd have a tremendous year," HC Mack Brown said. "That's exactly what he did. He grew into the offense with his combination of speed and quickness, and was extremely productive for us. Ty was also great in the locker room as an experienced presence and went on to be voted captain by his teammates.” Chandler does bring top-end, 4.38 speed — but he’s on the smallish side at 204 pounds. He also turns 24 prior to Week 1. He’ll likely start out as a practice squad guy with the Vikings likely to stick with Alexander Mattison and Kene Nwangwu behind Dalvin Cook.
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