Six Eagles featured in Top 150 fantasy football player rankings

Rotoworld’s Evan Silva recently revealed his updated list of the top 150 players in fantasy football for the 2017 NFL season. A total of six Philadelphia Eagles players made the cut.

Eagles players

The Eagles’ top ranked player shouldn’t come as a surprise.

43. Alshon Jeffery (WR24) – Made it through spring healthy. Should lead PHI in receiving yds, TDs.

Jeffery was by far and away the best wide receiver at Eagles practice this spring. Anyone saying otherwise is simply wrong. Here’s what I wrote about Jeffery last month.

“Alshon Jeffery is a stud. He’s the real deal. Don’t let anyone else fool you otherwise. He caught everything thrown his way and made some special catches that other receivers simply can’t make.”

Jeffery moved up five spots from No. 48 in the last version of these rankings. He also jumped from WR29 to WR24. There are obvious concerns with Jeffery when it comes to soft tissue injuries and potential suspensions, but for now everything is trending in the right direction with him.

Jeffery figures to be a great weapon for Carson Wentz. He’s easily the No. 1 target in this offense. If other people in your league are going to underrate him like this, take advantage.

84. Jordan Matthews (WR42) – More target competition, but maintains critical rapport w/ Wentz.

Matthews’ stock is down. He dropped nine spots from No. 75 and he’s WR42 now instead of WR40.

Matthews almost missed the entirety of Philadelphia’s spring practices due to a knee tendinitis issue that originated last fall. He’s also been involved in trade rumors which makes sense given he’ll be a free agent after this year.

Assuming the Eagles don’t trade Matthews, he’ll be the team’s starting slot receiver again in 2017. His targets figure to go down compared to past years, however, with the addition of some actual NFL caliber receivers such as Jeffery and Torrey Smith. I’d be cautious about where you draft Matthews.

90. LeGarrette Blount (RB35) – Better non-PPR pick. Needs touchdowns to matter week to week.

Blount went unranked in Silva’s last rankings because he was unsigned at the time.

Some might overrate Blount’s fantasy value after his 18 touchdown season. It’s very unlikely he’ll repeat that kind of production. He still should have some decent value, however, since he’ll be handling the bulk of Philadelphia’s carries. One would imagine he’ll also get a lot of red zone work. The Eagles will rotate their running backs, though, so his usage will ultimately be limited to some extent.

104. Zach Ertz (TE11) – Consecutive 75+ catch seasons. There’s more target competition in Philly.

Ertz dropped one spot from 103 and he used to be TE10. We’ve all been waiting for a season where Ertz shows up big early in the season as well as December. Maybe this is the one! But for real this time. The chemistry Ertz has with Wentz shouldn’t be underrated. Wentz threw to his tight end a lot during spring practices this year. Ertz looked good, too.

121. Darren Sproles (RB40) – LeGarrette Blount solidified Sproles’ role as pass-down dominator.

Sproles was at No. 96 and RB35 before the Eagles signed Blount. His fantasy stock took a big hit.

Despite nearing the end of his career, Sproles is coming off a season where he reached a career high in rushing attempts. It’s unlikely the Eagles will use him that heavily again, but he’ll obviously still have a role in this offense. Sproles has more value in PPR leagues.

142. Carson Wentz (QB20) – High-volume QB as rookie. Supporting cast upgraded for year two.

Wentz is up from No. 150 but he’s still QB20. We’re all waiting to see what he’ll show us in Year 2. Will he take the next step in becoming a legitimate franchise quarterback? Or will his rookie struggles persist into his sophomore season? The hope is he’ll improve after having an offseason to hone his craft. A better supporting cast should also do him favors.

Former Eagles

Former Eagles players including two running backs in the top 12.

8. LeSean McCoy (RB4) – Outlook improved by loss of Mike Gillislee, who swiped nine TDs in ‘16.

12. DeMarco Murray (RB6) – Every-down back in high-ceiling offense. Derrick Henry overvalued.

And two former Eagles wide receivers in the top 65.

58. Jeremy Maclin (WR33) – See Garcon. Ravens have led NFL in pass attempts 2 straight years.

65. DeSean Jackson (WR36) – Great spiked-week WR3 if you are willing to embrace down games.

And two Eagles legends.

81. Frank Gore (RB30) – Lead role secure, but Robert Turbin & Marlon Mack pose usage threats.

93. Marcus Mariota (QB6) – My top QB target from 9th round on. Huge supporting cast upgrades.

NFC East

Here’s a look at the top ranked players on each of the Eagles’ division rivals.

New York Giants:

4. Odell Beckham (WR2) – Has finished as a top-5 fantasy WR in each of his three NFL seasons.

Dallas Cowboys:

6. Ezekiel Elliott (RB3) – Cowboys need to replace LG Ronald Leary and RT Doug Free up front.

Washington Redskins:

29. Terrelle Pryor (WR16) – Topped 1,000 receiving yards in 1st year at WR. Now has real QB.

After looking at this, it’d sure be nice if the Eagles’ top player was ranked higher than No. 43.