Tag: Saquon Barkley

The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the best offenses in the NFL, if not the best.

For the fans’ sake, that’s good for fantasy football leagues around the country.

Which Eagles should you draft? How might they perform? That’s what I’ll try to answer.

For simplicity, I’ll reference points per reception (PPR) formats, as there are different discussions in non-PPR leagues.

Saquon Barkley, Running Back

The Eagles’ new starting running back, Saquon Barkley, whom they paid handsomely, is going off the board pretty early in most leagues. He is seen as give or take, one of the five best running backs this season.

Especially with a playmaker like Barkley, he should get high-end usage and be somewhat involved in the passing game as well. Behind a competent offensive line (an elite one, at that), he should soar as long as he’s healthy.

It’s a worthwhile concern to take issue with a potential lack of touchdowns due to how many weapons are on the offense. This can limit Barkley’s upside. There’s a very high floor here but a questionable ceiling. Could he really be the best running back in fantasy?

A.J. Brown, Wide Receiver

Simply put, A.J. Brown was a league-winner last season. Averaging 19.9 PPR points per game from Week 3 to Week 16, this player demolished the competition. He showed his upside even with big names in the fold—this is a good top receiver in all leagues with more than a couple of people.

Brown is magical with the football in his hands, so a decreased target share isn’t much of a worry. If he’s healthy, he’ll get plenty of looks. He only had seven touchdowns in 2023, so the sustainability of his play leans more optimistic than pessimistic.

Jalen Hurts, Quarterback

The time to maximize Jalen Hurts’ stock was a long time ago, but it now seems that the fantasy world has caught onto his status as a top-tier player. It’s tricky when dealing with quarterbacks, as a lot of people will tell you that you’re better off waiting until later rounds to take one. That’s only true in some instances.

Assuming your league has anywhere from eight to around 12 participants (and just one quarterback slot), which should be a large majority, there are options out there aside from the elite names. But to truly contend for a championship, you must have an answer. For example, there’s a low likelihood that teams who were streaming quarterbacks late in the season did much of anything in the playoffs—that’s a vital position.

If you can trust yourself to scope out future breakouts who are going low in drafts, such as rookie Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders, then it’s justified to avoid a quarterback and take another position. But if you want to be confident in a vital spot in the lineup, taking someone like Hurts makes sense. He can pass and run, and he should be one of the leaders in rushing touchdowns (which are worth more than passing touchdowns) thanks to the “Brotherly Shove.”

DeVonta Smith, Wide Receiver

Even in competition with Brown and others, DeVonta Smith got his fair share of targets last season. From Week 8 to Week 16, he averaged 17.4 points, even in a crowded offense. As a secondary receiver, this is one of the higher-end options.

Betting on talent in fantasy is never a bad idea. Though Smith could soar in a situation where he isn’t behind one of the best receivers in the world, this is a gifted player who could take charge any given week. There’s some consistency here, but you’re looking for games that he can blow open. In the Eagles’ offense, he absolutely has the chance to do that.

If you’re in a championship game, that’s the kind of upside you dream of.

Dallas Goedert, Tight End

Dallas Goedert used to be one of the best tight ends in fantasy, but he had a disappointing season in that regard in 2023. There’s a ton of competition for involvement, and, unfortunately, players like Barkley, Brown, Smith, and even Hurts take the ball out of his hands. This isn’t a bad upside bet, though.

Touchdowns are massive for tight ends since they don’t get the ball a ton, but Goedert only had three last season. And there’s just not a lot of confidence we see that number soar, but there’s a non-zero chance that it does. In bigger leagues (closer to 16 or more people), this might actually be a smart play. But he’s a low-end starter in your standard 8-12-man league.

Jake Elliott, Kicker

There aren’t many kickers better than Jake Elliott, either in real life or in fantasy football. He has been especially incredible over the last two seasons for the Eagles, aided by a dominant offense.

Most assume that there isn’t a difference between the top kickers and those on waivers, which is true to some extent. However, you could be gaining a point or two on a week-to-week basis when looking at his averages. We’ve all lost games by that margin—it almost feels like it happens all of the time. In my personal case, it happened in a championship game in a friend’s league last year (it was actually by 0.06 points).

Kickers matter, too.

If you want the best option and some upside, it’s not crazy to go for someone like Elliott when skill positions are still flying off the shelves, especially when you’ll statistically end up cutting them anyway.

Eagles D/ST

It would be best to leave this defense and special teams unit on waivers. The Eagles’ defense was one of the worst in the NFL last season, yet their most memorable splash in the offseason was a running back.

Some improvement here can happen, but it might only be a good idea to stream this defense if they have a favorable matchup. Even that wasn’t always the best bet—their lack of sacks, takeaways, and overall inability to stop offenses resulted in some low-end quarterbacks feasting.

Deep League Targets

Suppose you’re in a very deep league, such as with 32 players; both Jahan Dotson and Will Shipley appear to be decent bets. There’s some upside here.

With Dotson, it feels like an injury to either Brown or Smith would be the path here. Obviously, you never want players to get hurt—these athletes have families to feed. However, the reality of the sport is that it can happen to anyone. That would theoretically allow Dotson to get a big target share. It’s a sad way for that pick to pay off, but it’s something to understand. He’s a strong option with whom Hurts could fall in love anyway, perhaps. Hopefully, his emergence is what wins him over, and not someone getting hurt.

As for Shipley, he might not even get more reps than Kenneth Gainwell, another running back for the Eagles. The rookie has been pretty good in his action, though, and could be a solid early-down option in some instances. It’s hard to come by running backs in 32-man leagues so that big performances can win you a matchup. Shipley can maybe provide a few points here and there with a couple of 10-point showings if the Eagles like him enough and he hits his stride. That’s an unlikely outcome, but it’s not impossible. With that being said, there isn’t enough upside to consider him in normal leagues with a dozen or fewer players, but he’s intriguing if you have way too many football friends.

There’s a saying that you should try to avoid drafting based on your personal rooting interest. But in the Eagles’ case, you’re justified in doing so.

If anything, some of these players might be undervalued.

PHOTO: Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports