Eagles Fantasy Football Preview: Week 4

A winning team usually means the players will have a better chance of holding fantasy value. Strangely enough in 2014, the Eagles D/ST was one of the only things Eagles-related that was worth owning for the first third of the season, but it’s a completely different season this year. The Philadelphia Eagles have a ton of apparent weapons on offense, but it seems like they’re still figuring things out here. Here’s an outlook for everything Eagles in fantasy football for Week 4:

QB Sam Bradford

Week 3 performance: 118 passing yards, 1 passing TD (8 fantasy points)
ESPN Week 4 projection: 12.6 fantasy points

Bradford had another forgettable week against the Jets despite picking up his first win as an Eagle. His passing yards have decreased by about 100 yards each week this year, and while he didn’t have any turnovers (finally) against the Jets, he only had one touchdown. One touchdown and barely over 100 yards isn’t going to cut it. It’s fine if you’re holding onto him as a backup in case he starts to get the hang of things, but he’s no longer close to being in the QB1 conversation.

RB DeMarco Murray

Week 3 performance: injured, didn’t play
ESPN Week 4 projection: 11.5 fantasy points

Murray didn’t play in Week 3 due to a hamstring injury. I wouldn’t be surprised if he came back in Week 4 because it didn’t sound too serious, but they’re also likely to be very careful about how they handle his return. He might be limited in practice again for the next few days before they finally make a decision on Friday or Saturday. For now, he’s probably only safe to use as a flex play, especially with how poor he’s been when he’s actually played.

RB Ryan Mathews

Week 3 performance: 108 rushing yards, 20 receiving yards, TD, fumble (16 fantasy points)
ESPN Week 4 projection: 2.7 fantasy points

Mathews’ value as a fantasy player hinges on whether or not Murray ends up playing in Week 4. It’s far too early in the week to determine whether that will happen, but Mathews had a very nice game as the team’s starting running back. He was productive on the ground and had his first receiving touchdown in a long time. He also lost a fumble which is a negative, but his positive performance otherwise made up for it. If he’s the starter, he’s a low-end RB2. If he’s the backup, he’s not worth using.

RB Darren Sproles

Week 3 performance: 17 rushing yards, TD, 19 receiving yards, punt return TD (14 fantasy points)
ESPN Week 4 projection: 5.2 fantasy points

Sproles would’ve had another worthless fantasy day had he not picked up the two touchdowns. His first was on a long punt return in which he appeared to juke out anyone in the vicinity of the field in typical Sproles fashion. The second was a short rushing touchdown. He averaged less than two yards per carry on the ground though, so even after a two-touchdown performance, it would be hard to start him unless you’re crippled with injuries.

WR Jordan Matthews

Week 3 performance: 6 catches, 49 receiving yards (4 fantasy points)
ESPN Week 4 projection: 8.3 fantasy points

Matthews had his weakest game against the Jets, which was to be expected considering Darrelle Revis played for New York. Going up against the Redskins next week should allow Matthews to return to his normal self. Last year, he averaged 58.5 receiving yards and a touchdown against Washington. He’s still a WR2.

WR Nelson Agholor

Week 3 performance: 0 catches, 0 receiving yards (0 fantasy points)
ESPN Week 4 projection: 5.6 fantasy points

Agholor has been very disappointing as a fantasy player this year. He’s essentially done nothing all year despite being expected to produce as at least a WR5. I expect him to eventually figure things out and start to get back on track, especially once Bradford improves a bit, but as of now, I think it’s fair to release him. Unless you have some other hardcore Eagles fans in your league, I can’t imagine anyone would be scrambling to pick him up. In the meantime, no other Eagles receivers (minus Matthews) are worth owning either.

TE Zach Ertz

Week 3 performance: 2 catches, 30 receiving yards (2 fantasy points)
ESPN Week 4 projection: 5.5 fantasy points

Ertz has been a big disappointment too. He’s playing a lot more than last year and is getting a fair amount of targets, but it doesn’t seem to be helping him much. He had just two catches against the Jets, which were his only two targets. Ertz’s best career game came last year against the Redskins in Week 16 when he racked up 15 catches on 18 targets for 115 yards, but his previous game against them yielded just 14 yards, one of his worst games in 2014. I don’t think Ertz is worth starting anymore.

K Cody Parkey

Week 3 performance: 1/1 FG, 3/3 XP
ESPN Week 4 projection: none

Parkey technically had his best day in fantasy football terms on Sunday, but it would also be the last game he would play in 2015 after he was placed on injured reserve the next day due to a aggravation of his groin injury. He should be released in all leagues.

K Caleb Sturgis

Week 3 performance: none
ESPN Week 4 projection: 7.3 fantasy points

In place of Parkey will be Sturgis, who used to be the kicker for the Miami Dolphins. This will be his first game as the Eagles kicker, so it’s hard to tell what will happen, but kickers are kickers. Very few kickers remain consistent for a long period of time, and Sturgis was released one point for a reason, so I don’t expect him to light things up. Hold off on signing him until he’s had a week or two to show what he’s got.

Eagles D/ST

Week 3 performance: 17 points allowed, 3 INTs, 1 FR, 1 sack, 1 TD (16 fantasy points)
ESPN Week 4 projection: 9.2 fantasy points

The Eagles D/ST also had their best fantasy week of the season, causing four turnovers on defense and returning a punt back for a touchdown on special teams (courtesy of Sproles). The Eagles defense appears to be their strong point this year despite it being their weakest point last year. And with how good Sproles still looks as a punt returner, it makes the Eagles D/ST a very valuable play in all leagues as a starter.

Next: Eagles Snap Count Analysis: What's going on at WR?

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