Philadelphia Eagles Fantasy Football Preview
The questions used to be whether Nick Foles or Carson Wentz should be the QB and now it seems like the question will be how much will Jalen Hurts play and take away from Wentz. The 27-year-old North Dakota State product has had some ups and downs since entering the league but leaves the Eagles in a better QB situation than most. The main questions the Eagles will have to answer are who is going to catch the ball and will the defense take that next step? Both are reasonable questions and Coach Doug Pedersen always finds a way to get it done. So, why should we bet against him in 2020?
Schedule:
- Week 1: @ Washington
- Week 2: Rams
- Week 3: Bengals
- Week 4: @ 49ers
- Week 5: @ Steelers
- Week 6: Ravens
- Week 7: Giants
- Week 8: Cowboys
- Week 9: Bye
- Week 10: @ Giants
- Week 11: @ Browns
- Week 12: Seahawks
- Week 13: @ Packers
- Week 14: Saints
- Week 15: @ Cardinals
- Week 16: @ Dallas
- Week 17: Washington
Players To Know:
- Carson Wentz-QB: Wentz has battled injuries in his career and they selected Jalen Hurts in the 2nd Round. I believe that Hurts presents no immediate threat to Wentz. Additionally, I think Jalen Hurts will be a very minimal factor in the offense. Yes, Doug Pedersen is creative but Hurts is a QB. I do not see as much Taysom Hill in Hurts as others do. However, back to Wentz. Wentz is coming off a career-high 4,039 yards last season. Wentz has had his up and down fantasy seasons in his career and has also fumbled the ball at times as well. While he may not be the option that Russ Wilson is he certainly fills that gap between the high-end fantasy guys and guys like Jared Goff. Expect Wentz to finish with back-end QB1 status.
- Miles Sanders-RB: Last season Sanders split work with Jordan Howard and now that Howard is gone we should expect Miles Sanders to have a breakout season. While sharing touches, Miles still totaled 818 rushing yards as a rookie to lead the squad. That number should increase by about 400 yards leaving Sanders in the 1200 yard neighborhood. Sanders has all the tools to provide league winning upside and serve as a fantasy darling this season. I believe at worst Sanders is RB10 overall in half-point PPR formats.
- Boston Scott-RB: Scott is the preferred insurance policy in Philly with Miles Sanders looking like he is about to take over just about all the work as the lead back for the Eagles this season. Scott dazzled fans with his late-season performances and should have a role as a complementary piece to Sanders but is not a recommended draft pick.
- Jalen Reagor-WR: Yes, he is a rookie but he is a good one. Reagor has all the athletic tools to contribute immediately and at a high rate. Given the depth and injuries at WR, Reagor should be the Eagles WR you want the most in fantasy football this upcoming season. Some people have said he is Christian Kirk and others have said he might have some Stefon Diggs in him, either way, he starts the year as a WR3 with serious upside to be in the solid WR2 conversation when the season comes to an end.
- Alshon Jeffrey-WR: He has an injury history and is the dreaded age of 30 in the NFL. While he can still be productive it shouldn’t translate into anything more than FLEX consideration.
- DeSean Jackson-WR: The same goes for D-Jax, but he can still run. His running ability should give make him more appealing than Jeffrey, but he is also a huge fantasy gamble.
- Zach Ertz-TE: Ertz is a favorite of Wentz and the two have a strong connection. Given the issues at WR, Ertz has to be a strong consideration for most fantasy players as he will serve as the number 1 option in the passing game. Ertz has proven to be very solid over the years and I expect that to continue. While Dallas Goedert will become a bigger part of the offense it shouldn’t weaken Ertz’s fantasy value.
- Dallas Goedert-TE: Goedert has been talked about since he was drafted by the Eagles. He is a big target that has shown flashes when on the field. Goedert started to earn his stripes last season as the WRs dealt with massive injuries and he became a trusted target. Goedert should continue to grow this season. While he shouldn’t be considered a playable option Week 1, later in the season is when he may make his name. I think the Eagles will look to run more 2 TE sets this season.
Defense:
Defensively, the Eagles were a mixed bag. The Eagles are always battling injuries and that is how the season started forcing them to start a who’s who of unknowns in the secondary. Eventually, the young DBs showed enough growth to move from a fantasy feast for opposing WRs to a more respectable middle-tier pass defense group by season’s end. The expectation is for guys like Avonte Maddox, Sydney Jones, Rasul Douglas and Ronald Darby to take that next step and propel this defense into the Top 10 of Fantasy Rankings. The run defense is, dare I say, elite; allowing one of the fewest rushing totals last season. However, they need to create more turnovers this season to cement themselves in the Top 10.
Potential Breakout Player:
- Miles Sanders-RB
Rookie To Know:
- Jalen Reagor-WR
