The Facts:
In assessing the prospects of Mathews catching the ball out of the backfield this season, ESPN.com's Bill Williamson noted that Philip Rivers usually dials up his RBs close to 50 times per season (Mathews caught exactly 50 passes last season). So, Williamson wrote, "I’d think [Mathews] could get in the 60-catch range this season as the Chargers plan to expand his workload.
Reported by ESPN.com
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
Mike Tolbert, now with Carolina, had 54 catches last season out of the backfield. In 2010, Darren Sproles, who went to New Orleans last season, had 59 catches. Rivers, who took over as the starter in San Diego in 2006, hit LaDainian Tomlinson 56 times out of the backfield in 2006, 60 times in 2007 and 52 times in 2008. As Williamson suggests, there's no reason to believe that trend will end with Mathews taking over the primary duties. His fine performance catching the ball last year clearly gave Rivers and the San Diego coaching staff confidence he can succeed in the role.
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