Chargers running back Ryan Mathews is a victim of the offensive system in which he plays. And so are his Fantasy owners. His team not only throws the ball 57 percent of the time, but he is often on the sideline watching backfield mates Danny Woodhead and Ronnie Brown in action.
Mathews is averaging fewer than 15 carries a game and is a non-entity in the passing attack. Too bad, too, because he is certainly productive when given the chance. He has 539 yards in 131 carries for a strong 4.1 YPC average and two touchdowns.
Week 11 foe Miami has had plenty of work against the run, ranking 31st in the NFL in rushing attempts and 25th in yards yielded on the ground with 1,072, but their 3.9 YPC average ranks the Dolphins 12th in the league. Their run defense, however, has collapsed in recent weeks. They have surrendered 455 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground in the last three games.
That bodes well for Mathews, who is more of an ideal second Fantasy running back than a No. 1, even in deeper leagues. He is ranked between 17-19 by all three CBSSports.com senior Fantasy writers among NFL running backs this week, which seems about right. He should be active in all formats.