Fantasy Upside
In the 24 games over the past three seasons where Ryan Mathews has at least 10 carries, he has averaged 87 total yards and 0.50 TD, or 13.4 PPR points per game. Those are solid RB1 numbers. The good news is he has the potential to get lots of work this season in what could be a run-heavy offense under Doug Pederson. Last year, Mathews was the team's best runner, but had to share carries with DeMarco Murray, who the team traded to Tennessee this offseason. There doesn't seem to be a ton of competition behind Mathew for carries heading into 2016, and last year's offensive line should be improved with the team addressing the guard position in the offseason.
Fantasy Downside
Mathews has a long injury history which crept back into the picture last season when he missed three games. He also fumbled three teams and has had issues with ball control dating back to San Diego. While there isn't a lot behind Mathews to steal carries, Darren Sproles, rookie Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner are all kind of the same back who can offer a change of pace in the run game but excel in pass catching, so there's a good chance Mathews may not see a ton of receptions (he averaged less than two a game last season).
Bottom Line
In this day and age of a Zero-RB drafting style, Mathews is certainly a guy who you can take later after stocking up on WRs. His ADP is currently in the fifth round and he's ranked 15th on our RB list. While there is a history of injuries, the upside for Mathews is certainly there. There's just not a lot behind him on the depth chart to threaten his workload, and with a potentially very solid Eagles defense that will keep them in games, it makes him worth his ADP.