Eagles Week 2 fantasy football outlook

With the first game under wraps, the Eagles are heading south to face the Falcons who were embarrassed in Week 1. Although the final score reads 28-12, the Falcons were down 28-0 entering the fourth quarter and were really only able to scrounge up some points after the game had been decided. If the Eagles are ready to take an early lead, this game script points towards a big day for the running backs, Jake Elliott, and the defense.

Carson Wentz, Quarterback (Last week: Start, Result: QB8)

Wentz looked a little rusty in the first half last week but came out in the second half like a man on a mission. If he can continue to keep the ball out of the defense’s hands, Wentz should be a back-end fantasy QB1 all season long and deserves to lead your fantasy team to glory.

Verdict: START

Alshon Jeffery, Wide Receiver (Last week: Start, Result: WR18)

Wentz and Jeffery seemed to be on the same page last week as Jeffery caught 5 of 6 passes thrown his way for 49 yards and a TD. It sure would be nice to see Alshon get targeted a little more frequently, but the reality of the situation is that with so many options for Wentz to throw to, it’s not going to happen regularly. Alshon is still in play here, but with a game script that favors the run, he is a TD dependent WR3 this week.

Verdict: START

DeSean Jackson, Wide Receiver (Last week: Start, Result: WR2)

Most “experts” recommended that Jackson be sat last week and I hope you ignored their advice. I think I can speak for most, if not all Eagles fans when I say that I absolutely knew he was going to catch a colossal touchdown pass last week. He ended up catching eight passes on a whopping 10 targets for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns. While we cannot expect anything like that weekly, if DeSean continues to get near twice the looks of anyone else on the team, it will be hard to keep him benched. Treat Jackson as a back end WR2 this week, with a high ceiling and a reasonably high floor.

Verdict: START

Nelson Agholor, Wide Receiver (Last week: Sit, Result: WR83)

Agholor’s stat line of 2 receptions for 11 yards does do him any justice for last week’s game. Although Agholor did not get targeted, he was wide open on one of Jackson’s touchdown passes and would have surely gotten a touchdown had he been targeted A promising sign for Agholor owners is that he was targeted 5 times, which shows he is still going to be a part of this offense. We’re going to keep him on the bench for now in most leagues, but his target count should be monitored closely.

Verdict: SIT

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Wide Receiver (Last week: Sit, Result: N/A)

The rookie was not targeted in his NFL debut and made the worst of his few snaps by getting a penalty. I still think the future is bright for JJAW, but that future probably doesn’t occur in 2019.

Verdict: SIT

Zach Ertz, Tight End (Last week: Start, Result: TE16)

Ertz started the season with an underwhelming game, to say the least. Although he was targeted 7 times, it was clear that the original game plan was not built around him as it was so often last year. With that said, until definitively proven otherwise, Ertz is Wentz’s favorite target and will undoubtedly have many better games than he did in week 1.

Verdict: START

Dallas Goedert, Tight End (Last week: Sit, Result: TE32)

The young TE was targeted 3 times, which is enough to indicate he’ll have a role in the 2019 Eagles offense but still not enough to make him fantasy relevant. Unless something happens to Ertz, Goedert is hard to justify rostering in standard leagues.

Verdict: SIT

Jordan Howard, Running Back (Last week: Start, Result: RB38)

The team seemed to want Sanders to step up and be the top running back to start the season, but it was Howard who stood out as a ball carrier. With only 6 attempts and 1 target, it seems that Howard will at best be part of a timeshare, and at worst be fantasy irrelevant. Even with a juicy game script ahead, Howard will at best be a high-risk flex play.

Verdict: SIT

Miles Sanders, Running Back (Last week: Sit, Result: RB62)

Although he ran for just 1.8 yards-per-carry in his NFL debut, it is obvious the team likes Sanders and wants to get the ball in his hands. It should also be noted that Sanders got 100% of the carries within 5 yards of the end zone, which could result in him getting more TDs than his fellow RBBC members. Sanders has the same risk associated with him this week that Howard has with a little bit more upside. Treat him as a reliable flex option.

Verdict: SIT

Darren Sproles, Running Back (Last week: Sit, Result: RB33)

Although he had a lot of touches and snaps, the way Doug Pederson used Sproles in the season opener felt forced at best. The veteran RB has clearly lost a step (or two) and really should be used in particular scenarios instead of as a regular back, but until he is used less, he needs to be on fantasy radars. I’d still sit him this week, but he could be used in deep leagues.

Verdict: SIT

Corey Clement, Running Back (Last week: Sit, Result: N/A)

Clement is still not fantasy relevant as he is buried underneath a three-headed “monster.”

Verdict: SIT

Jake Elliott, Kicker (Last week: Start, Result: K16)

As long as the Eagles are frequently scoring, Jake Elliott is a starting kicker in fantasy. He didn’t do great in week 1, but it is far too early to panic.

Verdict: START

Eagles Defense & Special Teams (Last week: Start, Result: DST24)

I love this defense on paper, but that defense didn’t show up until halfway through the season opener. Until we have a better idea of which defense we’ll get, I’d avoid this unit.

Verdict: SIT