5 breakout stars to watch for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021

Mattison’s place on this list invites something of a doomsday scenario for the Vikings. But there’s no avoiding the reality that Dalvin Cook has never played 15 games in a season. He’s also coming off a season with 356 touches and 312 carries (each second-most in the league), despite missing two games and basically half of a third contest. Reducing his workload seems like a solid idea, even as the Vikings simply must back up Zimmer’s old-school doctrine to run the ball heavily.

Mattison has had double-digit carries in seven games over the last two seasons. His per carry average in those games lines up with his career average (4.6). So he seems plenty capable of taking more consistent work, while not diminishing Cook’s impact on the offense as one of the top dual-threat backs in the NFL.

If Cook were to miss substantial time in 2021, again a real buzzkill, doomsday scenario for Vikings’ fans, Mattison can hold down the fort in the mold of a more traditional lead back. That said, he may have some pass-catching chops that are yet to be unveiled (9.0 yards per catch, 7.7 yards per target in his two seasons). So Mattison is someone to watch for a potential breakout if things shape that way for the Vikings this year.