X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

2014 Outlook for Ryan Mathews: Biggest 2013 Breakouts

By Jeffrey Beall (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Evan Okulanis recaps the NFL fantasy football season by looking at the top fantasy 10 breakouts from the year - #9 is Ryan Mathews, running back for San Diego.

Some NFL prospects come into the year with expectations that are completely unreasonable. This can be due to a variety of reasons, but many times it is because the prospect follows in the footsteps of a true great. In this article, we talk about a fantasy football breakout player from 2013, Ryan Mathews, and his struggles to replace one of the best running backs in NFL history.

 

Biggest Fantasy Breakouts of 2013: #9 Ryan Mathews

Ryan-Mathews-NFL-fantasy-football-2013-advice-analysis

Ryan Mathews was the 12th overall pick out of Fresno by the Chargers.  He was expected to fill some of the biggest shoes in NFL history, left behind by LaDanian Tomlinson, an act that is almost impossible to repeat.  Mathews was listed at 6’ and weighed 215 pounds, a great size for a running back that uses power and vision for his game without sacrificing speed.  His production at Fresno was impressive, however injuries were a concern.  The Chargers didn’t hesitate to make him an early round pick as he had the makings of a future star in this league.

Expectations were sky high for Mathews.  The Chargers were excited to have him as their lead back while fantasy owners were drafting him as high as the late first round.  But it was almost impossible for Mathews to meet those expectations, as few rookies do.  His first season in the NFL, while not completely disappointing, was not good by any means.  He finished averaging 4.3 yards per carry, but only rushed for 678 yards, struggling with fumbles and injuries.  Owners and the Chargers were clearly disappointed with the season, but the future was still bright.  The next year, Mathews combined for 1,500 total yards, but missed two more games with injury.  In 2012, injuries once again hobbled Mathews as he broke his clavicle twice, and he also lost carries to the talent-inept Jackie Battle.  He went on to rush for only 700 yards.  2013 was seen as the "last chance" for Mathews, and fantasy football experts were not confident in his chances.  The Chargers offensive line was a mess and Philip Rivers was coming off his worst season as a pro.  They had no exciting offensive weapons outside Danario Alexander, who tore his ACL in training camp.  Keenan Allen was seen as a raw rookie at that point.  Mike McCoy was brought in from Denver, an offensive guru who worked with Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow, but the negatives still outweighed all the positives.  However, against all odds, Mathews and the Chargers were motivated.

 

The Stats

Mathews finished the 2013 NFL season with 1,255 yards rushing, 189 yards receiving and 8 touchdowns.  He had 6 games with over 100 yards and came close in a few others.  His most impressive game was against Denver in week 15, where he was asked to lead San Diego’s offense in order to keep Peyton Manning off the field, rushing for 127 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries.  He also didn’t miss a single game this season to injury.

 

The Analysis

Not many people saw this coming.  Mathews was coming off a statistically down year in 2012, and the Chargers offense was not a powerhouse anymore.  Owners drafted him as the 25th running back off the board on average, and for good reason.  However, with a new coach, the entire Chargers offense was rejuvenated.  Mike McCoy brought a different style than Norv Turner, one focused on power runs and a less vertical attack.  It suited the strengths of Rivers, Mathews and the below average offensive line.  The emergence of Keenan Allen, and the resurrection of Antonio Gates, Philip Rivers, and Mathews was proof that the system truly worked.  Mathews was probably the most impressive out of all these guys, a true testament to his great season.  In just about every game he was able to fight for touch yards in between the tackles while also showing some burst.  His receiving yards were down because of the signing of Danny Woodhead, but he finally seemed to have fixed his fumbling issues, losing just one fumble on the year.  Mathews seemed to be in new form and stayed healthy for a majority of the season, outside of a concussion and pretty severe ankle sprain late in the season that hobbled him in the postseason.

 

Looking Ahead

Mathews has all the talent in the world, and the Chargers have a bright future.  Keenan Allen should continue to develop, and the emergence of Ladarius Green gives Philip Rivers yet another offensive weapon. The offensive line should do nothing but improve, and Mathews should be motivated to be in the best shape of his life as he approaches his contract year.  If Mathews didn’t have an injury prone label, he would be an interesting late first round pick next year in fantasy football drafts.  However, he is coming off his first “healthy” season where he played all 16 games.  I quote healthy because he clearly should not have played in the playoffs because of his injury.  Mathews has a great opportunity to have the best season of his career next year, but the only question is whether he can play a full season next year.  If he falls in the draft, he would be a great value pick late in the second or early in the third round, but any earlier would be a risk given his extensive injury history.

Dynasty owners would be wise to sell high on Mathews.  There are plenty of running backs in this and next year's rookie draft that are just as, if not more exciting, than Mathews.  While he is just 26 years old, we can’t see him having many more years that go as well as the one he just had.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Félix Bautista

Felix Bautista Picks Up Fourth Save On Monday
Ryan O'Hearn

Homers On Monday
Hunter Goodman

Homers On Monday
Bryce Elder

Picks Up First Win Of The Season On Monday
Jesse Winker

Scores Four Runs On Monday
Michael Harris II

Doubles, Steals A Base On Monday
Jeff McNeil

Hits Three-Run HR On Monday
Ryan Jeffers

Homers, Drives In Three On Monday
Dane Myers

Hits Grand Slam On Monday
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Moises Ballesteros

Now The Triple-A Batting Average Leader
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Raisel Iglesias

Notches Fifth Save Monday
JP Sears

Fans Seven In Monday's Win
Josh Hader

Earns Eighth Save Of Season Monday
Jose Altuve

Hits Two-Run Homer Monday
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Charlie Condon

Visiting A Hand Specialist On Monday
Bailey Ober

Extends Quality-Start Stretch To Four In Monday's Win
Los Angeles Chargers

Quentin Johnston Needs To Earn His Spot In Training Camp
Noelvi Marte

Stays Hot With RBI Triple Monday
Los Angeles Chargers

Hassan Haskins The Leader For No. 3 RB Job
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Plan For 1-2 Punch At RB With Omarion Hampton, Najee Harris
Zebby Matthews

Strikes Out Five In Latest Start At Triple-A
New England Patriots

Patriots View TreVeyon Henderson As A Three-Down Back
Cleveland Browns

Browns View Quinshon Judkins As A Potential Bell-Cow Back
Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Plan To Develop Jalen Milroe As A QB
Bubba Chandler

Tosses Five Shutout Innings In Latest Start
Tennessee Titans

Titans Unlikely To Pick Up Treylon Burks' Fifth-Year Option
Cleveland Browns

Browns Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To Elijah Moore
Cleveland Browns

Browns Agree To One-Year Deal With Diontae Johnson
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Could Reunite With Amari Cooper
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Sign Robert Woods To One-Year Deal
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Jrue Holiday

Out Again On Tuesday Night
Bennedict Mathurin

Questionable For Game 5
Damian Lillard

May Not Play Next Season
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Remain Out Tuesday
Brenden Dillon

Unavailable Tuesday
Luke Hughes

Not Ready To Return For Game 5
Darius Garland

Remains Out On Monday
Ross Colton

Remains Out On Monday
Oskar Bäck

Oskar Back Returns To Stars Lineup Monday
Miro Heiskanen

To Miss Game 5
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go For Game 4
Cleveland Browns

Browns Decline Kenny Pickett's Fifth-Year Option
New York Giants

Giants Won't Pick Up Evan Neal's Fifth-Year Option
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Ikem Ekwonu
Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas Goedert Could Remain An Eagle
Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Could Still Add Wide Receiver Help Prior To 2025 Season
Cleveland Browns

Shedeur Sanders Struggled During Pre-Draft Process
Buffalo Bills

Elijah Moore Visiting With Bills
Jacksonville Jaguars

Emmanuel Ogbah Signs With Jaguars
New Orleans Saints

Derek Carr Undergoes MRI Exam
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Ivan Demidov

Has Historic Outing In Game 4
Timo Meier

Records Two Points Sunday
Andrei Svechnikov

Nets Hat Trick In Game 4 Win
Leon Draisaitl

Caps Off Four-Point Effort With First Postseason Overtime Goal
Connor Hellebuyck

Gets Pulled Again
Alexandre Carrier

Fails To Finish Game 4
Tyler Tucker

Makes Early Exit Sunday
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Frederik Andersen

Exits Game 4 With Injury
Jake Neighbours

Shines On Sunday With Three Points
Jordan Binnington

Makes 30 Saves In Game 4 Victory
Patrik Laine

Not Expected To Play In Game 4
Sam Montembeault

Labeled Day-To-Day
Aliaksei Protas

Considered A Game-Time Decision Sunday
Logan Thompson

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Jimmy Butler III

Ruled Out On Saturday
Isaiah Stewart

Questionable For Sunday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 4
Jrue Holiday

Won't Play On Sunday
Mitchell Robinson

Questionable For Game 4 Versus Detroit
Michael Porter Jr.

Available On Saturday Night
Russell Westbrook

Won't Suit Up For Game 4
Darius Garland

Won't Suit Up For Game 3
Darius Garland

Unavailable For Pregame Warmup
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana