FanPost

Eagles 2014 Fantasy Value: Predicting Preseason Hype

In fantasy football, there's nothing worse than watching bloggers or fantasy competitors jump onto the bandwagon of sleepers you've had stashed away for months. Fans love tweaking their fantasy football rankings, and up until this point, I've seen a lot of owners undervaluing many Eagle players for 2014.

With training camp opening up at the end of the month, there will no doubt be a wave of new stories buzzing about up and coming players. This means it's only a matter of time before we see a spike in ADP (average draft position) for players like Nick Foles, Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper, and rookie Jordan Matthews.

The following is a breakdown of where Eagle players are being drafted in the middle of July:

The Obvious Studs:

  • LeSean McCoy- A top 3 fantasy running back who is in the prime of his career. McCoy has bought into Chip Kelly's offense, and the two should excel even further in 2014.
  • Zach Ertz- A slow starter who caught fire in the second half of the 2013 season, Ertz is on everybody's draft board. He should have a great season and is currently being drafted in the 10th round.

Nick Foles | Current Draft Position: 6.04

It's easy for people to dismiss a new coach as a one-year wonder. It's also easy to think that a quarterback got lucky, or was the product of a great system. Yet, most Eagles fans know better. They've seen the ups and downs of bad quarterback play, and they've seen unbelievably predictable play calling over the Andy Reid era. If the 2013 season was only a small sample of things come, it's hard not to buy in as a fan or a fantasy owner.

The haters, or non-believers, of Nick Foles are keeping his value at a respected level. Currently Foles is the 6th fantasy quarterback off draft boards, and he shouldn't move up too much higher this summer unless he has a huge preseason game. Foles is a stud and I think he's in for a great season, although the problem is I would like to get him much cheaper. The trick to fantasy football is getting value for where you draft your players. I'm hoping the summer fantasy hype finds it's way onto someone else, which pushes Foles down the board slightly. I feel if you could get Foles in the 7th round of your fantasy league you'd be laughing.

Jeremy Maclin | Current Draft Position: 6.01

I hate to say it, but I'm already seeing fantasy experts jumping on Jeremy Maclin. He is a steal in the 6th round. With reports of Maclin's speed coming back to him, and people connecting the dots of Maclin filling in for the departure of DeSean Jackson, I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of August Maclin is being drafted in the high 5th round. For those uncertain about Maclin's ability to return, you must factor in the time of the injury. Maclin's injury has almost passed a full calendar year, and he hasn't had anything to rush back to. The timing of the injury is definitely in his favor.

Riley Cooper | Current Draft Position: 8.10

Cooper is easily one of the best bargain players of the summer. If you think Foles was a fluke, then you probably think Cooper was as well. The truth is, Foles is a smart accurate quarterback, and his favorite target is Cooper. The combo should only flourish this summer. Cooper's value may spike, but he'll likely get overlooked for Maclin or Ertz, making Cooper a nice late round gem in many fantasy leagues this year.

Jordan Matthews | Current Draft Position: 11.11

With an excellent training camp, JMat could very well compete for rookie of the year...I know that sounds crazy, but the only real threats are RB Bishop Sankey from the Titans, Brandin Cooks from the Saints, and the heavy favorite Sammy Watkins on the Bills. Each have an excellent chance of winning ROY, but there a few reasons why I think Jordan Matthews could sneak up and steal it. The Titans and Bills are rebuilding squads, and both have QB's (Jake Locker, E.J. Manuel) coming off injuries. The Saints on the other hand have too many targets in New Orleans. Cooks is also in a similar position as Zach Ertz, where schooling is costing him time with his new team. None of the rookie QB's are currently projected starters, and no other RB is likely to get a starting gig outside of Sankey.

Matthews has the size and smarts that Chip loves, he is a bargain in the 11th round, and could be an excellent redzone target for the Birds.

This was a quick Fantasy Breakdown of the Eagles 2014 fantasy season by Mike Rigz, from Gridiron Experts.