Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts could be a Fantasy football goldmine

Call it a crazy theory if you want to, but if you think about it, it makes sense. One could argue that sports betting, EA’s Madden game, and Fantasy football have all changed how Philadelphia Eagles fans view the NFL game forever. Seriously, just think about it.

It’s become much more difficult to watch games on Sunday without thinking about money lines. It’s also probably still a foregone conclusion that even though those of us that play Fantasy football want to win our leagues, there’s no way in you know what that we’re drafting Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, or members of the Washington Football Team to help.

It isn’t going to happen. Thankfully, there are a few guys on the Eagles roster that could be seen as some potentially helpful pickups. One of which is Philly’s QB1, Jalen Hurts.

Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts is a goldmine for Fantasy enthusiasts.

Sometimes, you just have to say things, believe them, and expect them to happen. At some point, fans are going to stop looking at running quarterbacks like they have some sort of disease. Now, don’t hear what isn’t being said either. Do quarterbacks need to put passing the ball above their desire to rely on their athletic ability or 40-yard dash time? They absolutely do. Nothing can take the place of mechanics.

You’ve watched football for years, and you’ve seen guys run around. It’s exciting. It’s definitely fun and cool to see on those Sportscenter Top 10 countdowns, but every time you’ve ever seen one of those frenetic last-minute drives to win the game, those may feature a few scrambles and Whodini-like efforts from the signal-caller, but they also always end one way, with the quarterback needing to make a throw from the pocket in the red zone to pull his team out.

Those that can do so win. Those that can’t normally see that last-ditch effort end with a turnover on fourth down.

There’s a bright side though. There’s obviously something to build on with this Hurts fella. Does his arm need work? Yep! Should his ability to create be seen as a red flag? Absolutely not! Jalen Hurts started the Philadelphia Eagles’ last four games as you know and reached paydirt three times with his legs in Philly’s final three games. He racked up 272 yards on the ground in those final four games as well.

It’s one of the reasons that Kenyatta Storin of numberFire sees him as a potential goldmine in Fantasy football. Here’s some of what was said.

"Over the past two weeks, his average draft position (ADP) in NFC drafts is QB9, going right after Tom Brady and just ahead of Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, and Ryan Tannehill… He averaged 12.7 carries and 79.3 yards per game while adding one rushing score. And in that three-quarter Week 17 appearance, he logged eight rushing attempts for 34 yards and two scores… For context, Lamar Jackson averaged 10.6 rushes and 67.0 yards per game in 2020 and 11.7 and 80.4 in his historic 2019 MVP campaign. Those per-game marks resulted in back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Obviously, it would be foolish to assume Hurts will automatically maintain a Lamar-level pace, but it sure looks like he’ll be one of the league’s most active quarterbacks on the ground."

Let’s talk about real football for a second. Hurts must improve as a passer. He barely completely 50 percent of his passes during his four starts, and after taking over for Carson Wentz in Green Bay versus the Packers, he notched a 6-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. That isn’t going to cut it. Hurts is all business though, and better offensive line play and an improved supporting cast will help him in 2021. So will his opportunity to work through a full offseason.

Storin expressed dome concern there.

"Although he did tally a pair of 300-yard passing performances, that was more through sheer volume rather than efficiency, and he ultimately averaged a mere 6.8 adjusted yards per attempt for the season. If he posted that over a full campaign, it would’ve placed him outside the top 20 among qualified starters, equaling guys like Jared Goff and Mitchell Trubisky."

Ultimately, the verdict is this. Jalen Hurts is potentially good enough to get the job done on the NFL gridiron and in your Fantasy leagues. Don’t be afraid to pick him up.

He’ll be ignored in a few leagues and left off of a few rosters, but thanks to his ability as a dual-threat quarterback, his legs could be the difference in one or two additional wins, and we’re talking about additional wins on both the gridiron and for your Fantasy roster. That should be enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up if you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan.