At last week's NFL draft, the Chargers traded up 16 spots to make sure they added Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews to their roster. Come August, Fantasy Football owners might want to do the same thing.
I've already seen a few Fantasy experts (I'll never understand, by the way, how one becomes an "expert" on a mythical football league) who say that Mathews will have the biggest impact of any 2010 NFL rookie. Some even say he could be a first-round pick in Fantasy drafts.
I'm not going to pretend to know how fantasy points systems work, but I'd imagine the thinking is: Mathews will carry the ball more than 200 times and probably get 1,100-1,200 yards. He'll have to share a few carries with Darren Sproles, but I think the Chargers will use Sproles much more in the passing game, getting him the ball in space and letting him work his magic. That means Mathews will get the majority of the carries between the tackles and at the goal line, especially because head coach Norv Turner has said he is committed to running the football, and he really means it this time.
So, consider taking a flier on the new kid from the WAC.
