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Obviously the answer to the question depends on who your alternatives are. For argument’s sakes let’s take a look at Mathews.
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He has been practicing and is expected to play in tonight’s game against the Raiders, who rank 29th in the league with 139.6 rushing yards allowed per game. They are also one of seven teams to allow nine rushing touchdowns.
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Mathews is expected to get a fair share of looks tonight but Mike Tolbert will certainly play a significant role as well.
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While Mathews hasn’t scored since Week Three, only has three touchdowns on the year, and has only scored in two games, he does his damage with his total yardage. In seven games he’s averaging 121.6 total ypg. He’s been particularly effective in PPR league averaging 4.3 catches per game.
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Aside from the injury there is a little reason for pause. Mathews only averaged 88.5 total yards in his last two games. While that is still a solid number, not to mention the ten catches he had for PPR owners, it’s a far cry from the 134.8 total yards and 0.6 TDs he averaged in the first five games. In standard scoring leagues that’s 17.08 points in the five games before the bye and 8.85 (8.23 point difference) in his last two games.
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Is it enough to sit him? Probably not unless you have a quality option to play in his place. It’s just something to keep in mind.
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Also check out:.

• Week 10 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• Week 10 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• Week 10 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• Week 10 Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• Week 10 Fantasy Football K Rankings
• Week 10 Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• Week 10 Fantasy Football Waiver Advice
• Five Situations to Watch Coming Out of the Week 9 Bye
• Week 10 NFL Picks

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After years of watching LaDainian Tomlinson dominate and rack up 300+ carries for years, Chargers fans couldn’t have been less pleased with his heir apparent.
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Ryan Mathews dealt with injuries last year that limited him to 12 games and 158 carries. It wasn’t a total disaster though as Mathews finished with a respectable 4.3 yards per carry and seven touchdowns.
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After his four-game hiatus Mathews averaged 87 total yards and 1.25 touchdowns in the final four games of the season. His signature game came in Week 17 when he ran over Denver’s soft run defense for 120 yards and three touchdowns.
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With his strong finish came optimism that he would stay healthy and deliver on that promise. Not that it can’t still happen, but when you start hearing that he’s missing time in camp and the preseason opener the fears start to come back. Not to mention the questioning of his toughness.
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The Chargers were known for letting LaDainian Tomlinson have a light workload during the preseason, but this doesn’t have that smell.
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First of all, LT was a proven superstar so saving the beating for the regular season made sense. Second, with the time missed from the lockout, any time that teams can spend together is an opportunity that shouldn’t be squandered.
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All this does is open the door for Mike Tolbert, who Norv Turner already admitted will work with Mathews in a two-back system. Tolbert only ran for 735 yards at a 4.0 ypc clip with 11 touchdowns. Oh, and he added 25 catches for 216 more yards. Any thoughts of minimizing his role should be quickly put to rest.
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Quite simply Tolbert is too valuable to the Chargers. He should not be considered just a handcuff. Tolbert is a decent flex option. If Mathews continues to spend more time on the shelf than running between the tackles, and Tolbert could get some run as an RB2.
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I’m not writing Mathews off, but he certainly lost the capital he had built up.
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Also check out:

• 2011 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football RB Rankings - PPR
• 2011 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football IDP Rankings

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We’ll wrap up the AFC running back scene by heading out west.
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Jamaal Charles is the best in the West. He showed 2009 was no fluke by running for 1467 yards with five touchdowns. He added another 468 yards and three touchdowns on 45 receptions. Charles is expected to carry an even bigger load for the Chiefs this year, which puts him in the conversation for the number one overall pick in fantasy drafts. He will likely be a top four pick in most fantasy leagues. Thomas Jones will still be in the picture, and while he is much more than just a handcuff to Charles, I do expect his production to decrease.
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Darren McFadden finally delivered last year erupting for 1157 yards and seven touchdowns. He added 47 catches for 507 yards and three more scores. He is a bit of a risk as he has missed 20.8 percent (ten of 48) games in his young career. Hard to argue with his production as a bona fide RB1. He will likely be the sixth to tenth running back selected. Michael Bush is a free agent, but the Raiders are likely to make a play to keep him. Given Run DMC’s injury history, Bush is a high-end handcuff.
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Knowshon Moreno has had some moments, but many (myself included) think he will take a big step forward with John Fox on board. If he can stay healthy, he can easily build upon the 1151 (779 rushing, 372 receiving) total yard and eight (five rushing, three receiving) touchdowns. The Broncos will likely add to their backfield once free agency opens up. Obviously who they bring in will determine Moreno’s fantasy worth, but he looks like a solid RB2.
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In San Diego you have a pair of running backs that should provide fantasy goodies. Ryan Mathews had a disappointing rookie season, and should be much better in 2011. He will likely be the 15th-20th running back taken in fantasy drafts. I’d prefer to get him as my RB3 given his injury history and the presence of Michael Tolbert, who is a low-end RB3 or high-end RB4. Darren Sproles will likely part ways with the Chargers when the lockout ends.
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Also check out:

• AFC East Running Back Situations
• AFC North Running Back Situations
• AFC South Running Back Situations
• AFC East Quarterback Situations
• AFC North Quarterback Situations
• AFC South Quarterback Situations
• AFC West Quarterback Situations
• NFC East Quarterback Situations
• NFC North Quarterback Situations
• NFC South Quarterback Situations
• NFC West Quarterback Situations

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San Diego’s Philip Rivers is easily the class of the division. It doesn’t matter who who is throwing too. Vincent Jackson holds out and only plays four games? Ho hum. Rivers throws for 4710 yards. Antonio Gates has nine touchdowns in the first eight games and then misses six of the next eight games? Big deal. Rivers throws 30 TDs (13 INT). Rivers remains a top tier QB1.
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Kansas City got 3116 yards and 27 TDs (7 INTs) from Matt Cassel and added the 6’4″ Jonathan Baldwin to his arsenal. He should take some of the pressure Dwayne Bowe, who exploded for 1162 yards and 15 TDs last year. Bowe had just one touchdown in the last five games while averaging 55.4 yards. The Chiefs also added Rodney Hudson to help their offensive line. Cassel is a solid QB2 going into the 2011 season.
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John Elway is on board with Tim Tebow as the Broncos’ quarterback. Tebow will have his ups and downs, but should be a solid QB2 thanks to his ability to run the football. He had six rushing touchdowns last year. New coach John Fox has Kyle Orton on top of the depth chart, but he could be traded once the lockout is lifted. If he beats out Tebow, he will also be a solid QB2. I just assume at some point Tebow would get a chance to start.
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Then there is the Raiders. Jason Campbell is the starter, but he’s not much of a fantasy option. He topped 240 yards just twice.  He had one or fewer touchdown passes in ten of the 13 games he played in. I would look elsewhere for my backup fantasy quarterback.
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Also check out:

• AFC East Quarterback Situations
• AFC North Quarterback Situations
• AFC South Quarterback Situations

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Both Malcom Floyd and Antonio Gates are inactive for tonight’s game. Vincent Jackson suddenly is a must start. Make sure you set your lineups to get Floyd and/or Gates out of them. Good luck if you have anybody playing tonight.

Image courtesy of Icon SMI
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I was asked to participate in the FantasyPros.com Featured Pros segment this week. Click here to see the full article and the responses from from The Scores Report, Chet Gresham from Razzball.
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Question 1
Give us 2 or 3 players that might be available off of waivers that you would target to stash away now for the playoffs (weeks 14-16), and tell us why.
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My Response:
Beanie Wells’ knee concerns me. Even if he’s able to go this week, I’m not convinced he comes away Monday without swelling. If they lose as expected to Kansas City this week, they will be 3-7. With nothing to play for, Arizona’s front office could shut down Beanie Wells, meaning Tim Hightower could get some starts down the stretch. They have a favorable schedule ahead with St. Louis, Denver, Carolina, and Dallas looming in Weeks 13-16.
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Arrelious Benn has scored in consecutive weeks and is finally showing up on the fantasy radar. He too has a nice stretch of games in Weeks 13-16 as he faces Atlanta, Washington, Detroit, and Seattle. If you aren’t able to get his teammate Mike Williams, Benn may be a sneaky force down the stretch.

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ESPN is reporting that if Vincent Jackson is traded by the San Diego Chargers,  he will be able to play in Week 5. The settlement agreed to by the NFL and the NFLPA improves the chances that the 6’5″ WR will be dealt. Prior to the agreement he would have to miss the first six games. The most likely suitors are the Minnesota Vikings and the St. Louis Rams. His fantasy stock would clearly be better if he were receiving passes from Hall of Famer Brett Favre rather than rookie Sam Bradford. Stay tuned for further details.
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Image courtesy of Icon SMI