In a game that saw quarterbacks Tony Romo and Philip Rivers throw for well over 600 yards and five touchdowns combined, under the Cowboys DeMarco Murray or the Chargers Ryan Mathews could find the end zone. Both running backs gave way to their teammates to the chagrin of fantasy owners.
DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews: Fail to find the end zone in Week 4
Neither feature running back could find the end zone in a Week 4 game between the Cowboys and Chargers. We discuss the fantasy implications.
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Fantasy impact: the average at best performances provided by Murray and Matthews, respectively, have to be viewed differently by fantasy owners.
On the one hand, the Cowboys' running back ran all over the St. Louis Rams to the tune of 175 rushing yards in a Week 3 win for Dallas. Murray added his second touchdown of the season in that victory.
By comparison, the Chargers lead back has now been held out of the end zone for fourth straight game. Although teammate Danny Woodhead gets considerably less time to send the backfield, it seems Matthews has been much less effective when it matters most.
Of the two backs it’s quite clear that Murray would be considered part of the elite class of fantasy running backs, whereas Matthews, nor his fantasy owners, have truly been able to cash in on his potential.
The running games of both things may be equally in trouble going into Week 5. The Chargers played the Oakland Raiders, who have had quite a good run defense this season.
Conversely, the Cowboys will host the undefeated Denver Broncos, who are pretty much a sure bet to put up a ton of points and render the Cowboys running game useless. Fantasy owners should adjust their lineups accordingly.
