Ryan Mathews could start for Eagles even though DeMarco Murray is expected to play

Eagles running back DeMarco Murray is expected to play against the Washington Redskins on Sunday, but he might not be starting for Philadelphia. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, it is possible backup running back Ryan Mathews gets the start for the Eagles. Here's what Schefter had to say during an ESPN segment on Sunday morning:

Here's the transcript:

Schefter: DeMarco Murray also expected to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. Will be interesting to see who starts today in Philadelphia.

Q: You think Ryan Mathews could start?

Schefter: I think it's possible. It would not surprise me.

Q: Seriously?

Schefter: Seriously. But I do think DeMarco Murray plays. We'll see who starts there in Philly today.

When healthy this season, Murray has been Philadelphia's clear starter at running back. Murray has struggled to run the ball effectively, however. He's only managed to gain 12 yards on 21 carries. When Murray was out last week against the New York Jets, Mathews gained 108 yards on 24 carries (4.5 yards per attempt).

Just because Mathews "starts" doesn't necessarily mean he will get the bulk of Philadelphia's carries. Darren Sproles officially "started" for the Eagles last week before Mathews ended up with the majority of the rushing attempts. Perhaps this notion from Schefter indicates Mathews will get more touches than he did in the first two weeks, however.

It will be interesting to see how the Eagles use their running backs against Washington. It's certainly something to keep an eye on, especially for fantasy football players.