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One of the more intriguing fantasy football options on the Philadelphia Eagles offense is the player they traded for during the off-season: former New Orleans Saints running back Darren Sproles. At first glance it's extremely exciting to think about the success Foles could have in Chip Kelly's offense, but at the same time Sproles is now 31 years old and running backs don't always age well. Let's take a look at what to expect from Sproles in 2014.
The Eagles, namely Chip Kelly and Sproles himself, maintain that the veteran ball-carrier is a running back first and not a receiver. Considering Sproles has caught at least 70 passes the last three seasons, that may be a little misleading. It's a sure bet that Sproles will catch a number of passes in the Eagles offense. Whether it's in the screen game or short passes where Sproles is being covered by a linebacker... it's a safe bet that Sproles will produce when given the opportunity.
The extent of Sproles production, however, remains to be seen. As I cautioned earlier he's already 31 years old. Also consider that the Eagles ran out of a single-RB formation more than any other team in the NFL in 2013 at 98% of the time. That might change this year because Sproles is a more enticing weapon than last year's primary backup running back Bryce Brown. Sproles isn't likely to steal carries from McCoy as much as is able to join him on the field.
While Sproles obviously isn't a sure-fire fantasy football stud due to his situation as a role-player, there is still some value to be had in a PPR (points per reception) format. It wouldn't surprising to see Sproles catch a lot of passes. Rotoworld's Evan Silva suggests you "could flirt with flex value in PPR."
Sproles projected fantasy football stats 2014 via CBS (average):
Rushes - 67
Rush Yards - 281.5
Rush TD - 1.5
Catches - 64.5
Receiving Yards - 522
Receiving TD - 3.0
Fantasy Points - 89
Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a $100,000 Fantasy Football Contest for Week 1's NFL games. It's only $10 to join and first prize is $10,000. Starts Sunday, September 7th at 1pm ET. Here's the link.