The Philadelphia Eagles continue to be a giant Sherlock Holmes mystery, especially at the running back position.
Philadelphia invested $42 million in DeMarco Murray in the offseason. Once again, he was not the Eagles’ leading rusher on Sunday as head coach Chip Kelly’s crew fell 27-16 to the undefeated Carolina Panthers on Sunday night.
Ryan Mathews led the Eagles in rushing again despite carrying the ball only six times. That sums up the situation in Philly.
Let’s take a deeper look into the Eagles running backs from a fantasy perspective.
DeMarco Murray
The Eagles are starting to get the right idea—get the ball to Murray and see what he can do.
While 2015 hasn’t been a banner year for last year’s Offensive Player of the Year, Murray has carried the ball 59 times over the last three games. Coming off his first 100-yard game of 2015 on Monday night against the New York Giants, Murray followed that up with 18 carries for only 65 yards.
Murray has been getting the ball more since calling out Kelly’s play-calling after the Eagles’ loss to the Washington Redskins on Oct. 4, per Philly.com’s Marcus Hayes.
“Do I think I’m touching the ball enough? No, I’m not,” he said. “I don’t think I am. It’s how the plays are being called. … I knew what I was coming in here to do. I knew that I was going to be the guy.”
It’s paid off. Murray has averaged 4.4 yards per carry in the last three games. Murray’s progress is trending upward despite a lowly fantasy output against Carolina’s stout defense.
Ryan Mathews
If he had been the forgotten back in Philly’s rotation, Mathews is forgotten no longer.
Mathews has continued to show flashes of why he landed in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. He led all Eagles with 17 fantasy points Sunday night, per ESPN.com. He’s been Philly’s best back from a statistical standpoint by far.
The former San Diego Chargers running back has averaged 6.5 yards per carry in his last five games and padded his stats Sunday with a 63-yard touchdown run.
After that, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, it was a quiet night for Mathews.
Why Kelly didn’t go to Mathews more often is mind-boggling, especially with Murray having an off night. Somehow, the Eagles head coach will figure out the running game, and Mathews will get more carries. Keep him around on your roster and keep starting him.
Darren Sproles
Darren Sproles isn’t an everyday mainstay in fantasy football lineups. He’s known for his electrifying punt returns. When he’s on offense, though, defenses need to keep an eye on him.
He had a fair game Sunday night. Sproles was targeted 10 times out of the backfield and caught five passes for 31 yards. Of the three running backs, Sproles will not get carries over Murray or Mathews.
When in need of a big play, though, Sproles is someone to keep around for fantasy purposes. When he’ll break that long play remains to be seen. Sproles has picked up only seven total fantasy points over the last four games.
If you have a better option on your roster at the flex position or running back, feel free to bench or drop Sproles. With Mathews’ surge, it may become a two-man show in Philly down the stretch.
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