Ryan Mathews appears to be the front-runner to win the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting running back job. His main competition at this point in time is Kenjon Barner, although there is some space between them.
Doug Pederson has taken over the head coaching duties after Chip Kelly was fired last season. He is going to change the offense up quite a bit from what the Eagles have run over the last couple of seasons. There is a good chance that Mathews will fit into the system that Pederson runs.
Last season with the Eagles, Mathews ended up carrying the football 106 times for 539 yards and six touchdowns. He was unable to receive consistent carries with the running back rotation that Kelly had put together. Now that DeMarco Murray is out of town, Mathews’ role will increase dramatically.
That being said, what should fantasy football owners expect to see from him in the 2016 NFL season?
Mathews will likely receive around 15-20 carries per game if he does end up winning the starting job. He could see some games where he hits 25 carries are above depending on how Sam Bradford or Carson Wentz is playing.
It’s always difficult to predict a player’s season, but there are some statistics that are safe projections for Mathews.
If he plays up to his full potential and earns the full-time starting gig, it would be reasonable to expect Mathews to rack up around 300 carries for 950 yards and eight touchdowns. Philadelphia will need the ground game to pick up this season. They cannot afford to lean on either Bradford or Wentz to carry the offense.
At 28-years-old, Mathews couldn’t be more excited for this chance. He is looking to prove himself to the NFL once again after his inconsistent stint with the San Diego Chargers. Mathews showed that he can put up big numbers when he was healthy in San Diego, but staying on-the-field hasn’t been easy for him.
Expect to see Mathews win the starting job and be a solid No. 2 or No. 3 running back option depending on what kind of fantasy league you play in. Don’t be scared to pick him up this season. He may not rush for 1,000 yards, but there is always the chance that Pederson and company use him as an every down back and he exceeds expectations.
