Getty Philadelphia Eagles RB Corey Clement is an interesting fantasy play with Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles out for Week 3.
It’s been a hectic Friday of NFL news and the bulk of the updates coming out have massive fantasy football impacts. Most recently, it was the Philadelphia Eagles who revealed some eye-opening news. As NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport first revealed the Eagles will be without two running backs in Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles
While Sproles missed last week’s game and Ajayi left the game due to his injury, it was somewhat expected the latter would be able to go in Week 3. That assumption was largely made based on the fact that he returned to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Unfortunately, the situation at running back for the Eagles remains cloudy moving forward as well. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero revealed the next man up in running back Corey Clement is also listed a questionable with a quad injury. Fortunately, he expects Clement to play in the game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Corey Clement’s Week 3 Fantasy Value
Assuming Clement does indeed play, his only competition for work would likely be from Wendell Smallwood and potentially Josh Adams. Through two games, Clement has looked like the best back of the group (although we haven’t seen Adams), totaling 11 carries for 56 yards and one touchdown. He’s also caught five passes for 55 yards. Smallwood has rushed seven times for 28 yards and caught one pass for two yards.
As far as the matchup goes, it’s appealing for Clement and the Eagles running backs. The Colts have given up a modest 115 rushing yards and one score to opposing backs, but a league-high 22 receptions for 187 receiving yards.
Those facts alone make Clement worthy of being a spot-start option for many fantasy football owners, depending on the layout of your league and who else is on your roster. The 23-year-old back has flashed solid pass-catching abilities, though, and the upside is certainly there.
Is Clement a Fantasy Starter Against the Colts?
In 12-team leagues where you’re typically filling out a flex spot with a mid-range wide receiver, the Eagles running back is a far better option. He’s also a great fill-in if your fantasy team is dealing with injuries at the running back position. Names like Joe Mixon and Dalvin Cook are both out this week, and replacing them won’t be an easy task.
When it comes to larger leagues featuring 14 or more teams, Clement can safely be put in lineups. It’s hard to envision a spot where you’re so loaded that you simply have multiple options better either at running back or in the flex than this.
Finally, the 10-team and smaller leagues are where things get dicey. Most rosters are loaded with talent and there’s simply not a reason to take any type of risk. But if you play in a point-per-reception league with 10 teams, I can see multiple spots where you roll out Clement over other options. That decision will come down to the matchup, though, but you can certainly do far worse than the Eagles’ expected starter.
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