When to Draft Eagles Players on Fantasy Draft Day
Jan 4, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy (25) carries the ball during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints during the 2013 NFC wild card playoff football game at Lincoln Financial Field. The Saints defeated the Eagles 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
The NFL season is about a month and a half away, and with it comes fantasy football. That means that draft day will be in a couple of weeks. The Eagles have quite a few players worth drafting, so let’s take a look at when to draft Eagles players on fantasy draft day – in a standard, non-PPR league.
Eagles quarterback Nick Foles looks to duplicate last year’s pretty miraculous season. Even after that season, he has yet to enter the “elite” tier of NFL quarterbacks, and thus shouldn’t be drafted in the top 5–possibly not even the top 10. If you really believe that Foles will duplicate those numbers or exceed them, draft him in round 3. I think, though that Foles shouldn’t be drafted until rounds six or seven.
The only Eagles player worth drafting in the first round is Eagles running back LeSean “Shady” Mccoy. Shady led the league in both rushing yards and yards from scrimmage last year. Whether you have the first pick in the first round, or the last pick in the first round, if Shady is available, you should take him.
The other Eagles running back that should be drafted is Darren Sproles. Sproles will do more damage through the air than on the ground at his age. In Eagles head coach Chip Kelly’s offense, Sproles will put up solid numbers, though they won’t be gaudy by any means. Sproles should be taken in the late rounds and is a borderline RB2, but potentially solid flex starter.
Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin is looking to step in and make up for the loss of now-Washington Redskins wide receiver Desean Jackson. A lot depends on whether Maclin can return from injury well after tearing his ACL in training camp last year, but if he recovers fully, he’s a fringe WR1, but a solid WR2. I would take him in the sixth round if he’s available. It’s sort of a low-risk, high-reward type pick .
The nominal second wideout on the team is Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper. Cooper had a solid season after Foles became the starter, but with rookie wide receiver Jordan Matthews looking good in mini-camp, Cooper may not be the second wide receiver for long. That being said, I wouldn’t really draft him until the late rounds. The same goes for Matthews, but he has higher upside than Cooper does.
As for tight ends, the Eagles have two draftable tight ends in Brent Celek and Zach Ertz. Of the two, Ertz has a higher ceiling for fantasy; he’s basically a giant wide receiver and a matchup nightmare that Kelly will use to exploit defenses much more than he did last year. I plan on drafting Ertz in the seventh round, though he probably won’t last that long. Celek, on the other hand, is going to receive more playing time because of his exceptional blocking ability. He’s always been a solid starter, though he’s never really been a standout. He probably shouldn’t be drafted until the late rounds, if only because Ertz is going to take targets away. Either way, the loss of Jackson means the Eagles will probably use tight ends even more.
Lastly, the Eagles defense probably shouldn’t be drafted. Not because there isn’t potential or playmaking ability, but because the offense gets off the field so fast. The defense is likely going to give up a ton of yards because it spends so much time on the field. The defense if a fringe starter at best, and should be drafted in the very late rounds, or not at all.