San Diego Chargers beat-writer Kevin Acee pointed out on Friday that it is likely Mike Tolbert will receive more snaps than Ryan Mathews "for the foreseeable future." The reasoning behind this prediction is Tolbert's work in pass protection. Norv Turner has specifically pointed out the great work Tolbert did in pass protection, while describing Ryan Mathews as improving. It's a solid step forward for Mathews, but improving strikes me as, "still not where we want him."
Mike Tolbert Likely To Get More Carries Than Ryan Mathews For Now
Last week against the Vikings, Tolbert 48 snaps while Mathews had 36. They ended up with a similar number of carries, but further inclusion of Tolbert would seem to make him the 1A to Mathews 1B for fantasy purposes. Throw in the red zone work for Tolbert and at this point Ryan Mathews should probably be on your bench.
It's not a particularly good situation all around for fantasy purposes, but if you managed to grab both of them, Tolbert would seem to be the start. In reality, you're probably better off starting neither, particularly this week in a potential shootout with the New England Patriots. Tolbert may be on the field more, but the rushing numbers could be low for both backs.
For more on the Chargers, check out Bolts from the Blue.
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