Week 10 Start Em Sit Em: What to Do With Darren McFadden, Ryan Mathews

Two of the major running back developments for Week 10 of the NFL season center around the AFC West and Thursday night's matchup between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders.

ESPN's John Clayton tweeted Wednesday that he doesn't believe the Raiders' Darren McFadden will play in tomorrow night's contest, but that Chargers' back Ryan Mathews should be able to play.

Here's the tweet:

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"Don't expect Darren McFadden to play against the Chargers. Still on crutches. Ryan Mathews should be a go."

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From a fantasy perspective, the start 'em, sit 'em decision for these two is pretty clear.

If McFadden is believed to be out, you have to sit him this week and find a viable replacement. It's really a concerning development for owners of McFadden, especially when you consider that the Raiders initially said he was going to be back and playing after the bye week.

If he misses the game tomorrow night in San Diego, it'll be his second straight game after the bye that he's been unavailable. The fact that McFadden is still in crutches can't be a good sign either.

On the other side, it's not a huge surprise that Mathews is close to ready. He worked out last Sunday before the Chargers' 45-38 loss to the Packers and was pushing to play. Another couple day's rest should get him close to 100 percent.

Upon his return to the lineup, Mathews should transition back into his No. 1 back role. Mike Tolbert was solid in Mathews' absence, but he'll return to the third down/short yardage role. If that is in fact the case, Mathews goes back to being a must start in every league and format.

There's always a chance he'll get himself another ding along the way, but Mathews should be mostly healthy against San Diego tomorrow.