The entire Minnesota offense is trending up, and two Vikings make this week's list. For the players trending down, we may have to decide on some difficult fantasy benchings. Trade deadlines are approaching quickly, and making some last-minute moves now could help bolster your team for a deep playoff run.
Three Up
QB Joshua Dobbs, Minnesota Vikings
Arguably the marquee story of this NFL season, the legend of Joshua Dobbs has grown even more since he joined the Minnesota Vikings two weeks ago. An injury to rookie Jaren Hall thrust Dobbs into the lineup just days after he joined the team. He's since led the team to back-to-back wins while putting up elite fantasy production. Dobbs had a wonky Week 1 in Arizona, where he logged just 1.0 fantasy points. But since then, he's racked up 178.6. Only Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, and Lamar Jackson have had more since Week 2. He's eclipsed 24.9 fantasy points in three straight games. On the season, Lamar Jackson is the only quarterback with more rushing yards. Jalen Hurts is the only quarterback with more rushing touchdowns. Dobbs' story has been great, but he's also found himself in the discussion as a weekly QB1 in fantasy. He's been trending up quickly since joining Minnesota. And the looming return of superstar Justin Jefferson could elevate his production even more.
RB Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings
Two Vikings on the Trending Up section? SKOL! Ty Chandler's opportunity may finally be here. Alexander Mattison suffered a concussion in Week 10, and the odds are against him suiting up for Week 11. Through 130 carries this year, Mattison has been unable to log a single rushing touchdown. Chandler punched one in on his 13th carry of the season when the team lined him up to receive the snap in a goal-line wildcat formation. Frankly, Mattison hasn't been good this year. His -0.68 rushing yards over expectation per attempt rank as the fifth-worst in the NFL. Chandler logged a positive number in his first game with a meaningful workload. The Year 2 back isn't the biggest guy. But what he lacks in size, he makes up for in blazing speed. His 4.38 40-yard dash puts him inside the 98th percentile for NFL running backs. If he can look good in his Week 11 audition, don't be surprised to see him maintain a steady role even when Mattison returns. A consistent workload in this high-powered offense would instantly put Chandler into the startable RB2 tier.
RB Devin Singletary, Houston Texans
In Week 9, Dameon Pierce hit the Trending Down section, and you can read why here. Devin Singletary started to impose a committee in Houston. And an injury to Pierce allowed Singletary to take off with the starting role. In his first game without Pierce, Singletary amassed 141 scrimmage yards and a touchdown, scoring significantly more fantasy points than Pierce has logged in a game this year. Pierce's role won't completely disappear, but the changing of the guard seems apparent after Week 10's explosive outing. The genie is out of the bottle. Singletary proved his abilities as the team's lead running back. What didn't show up in the box score was his relentless pass-blocking late in the game. Expect Singletary to maintain a heavy workload on a surprisingly productive Texans' offense going forward.
