Getty Alshon Jeffery and the Eagles are expected to have a high-octane offense in 2019.
Fantasy football season is nearly upon us and draft boards are being compiled at a frenetic pace. The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to have one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL, with weapons all over the field.
They also have red-zone targets galore — Alshon Jeffery, Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside — and an intriguing one-two combo in the backfield with Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard. It’s possible the Eagles have too many options, a bad problem for fantasy owners — or maybe they have the perfect amount. Here are some projections and a list of some players to consider drafting.
Zach Ertz, TE
It’s always worth stating the obvious: Zach Ertz is the best receiver on the Eagles roster. According to ESPN’s Matthew Berry, he is the second-ranked tight end in terms of PPR rankings. Last year, Ertz broke the record for most catches in a single season by a tight end when he hauled in 116 receptions for 1,163 yards and eight touchdowns. More importantly, the 27-year-old firmly established himself as Carson Wentz’s sure-handed safety valve with 156 targets.
Zach Ertz has been an entirely different player from a production perspective at home vs. on the road the last two years.
Wild Card Round weather/venue adjustments to make: https://t.co/Rxou3w9OoV pic.twitter.com/xf9vmt1Eii
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) January 4, 2019
Ertz’s average fantasy points, in both Standard and PPR formats, has steadily increased since his rookie year. According to Rotowire, he has climbed incrementally from 4.4 (Std) and 6.7 (PPR) in 2013 up to 10.3 (Std) and 17.5 (PPR). One final wrinkle on Ertz’s playbook: his home vs. road splits. Ertz averaged nearly nine points more at Lincoln Financial Field.
2019 Projections for Ertz
(ADP=Average Draft Position)
ADP: 27 (Round 3)
Receptions: 93
Receiving Yards: 997
Touchdowns: 9
Points Per Game: 15.4
Miles Sanders, RB
The rookie out of Penn State has been getting a ton of love from prognosticators. Sanders was ranked No. 29 on ESPN’s running backs list, while he registered No. 33 on Sports Illustrated’s edition. Meanwhile, the programmers behind the Madden NFL 20 video game rated him at 72 overall. Sanders did run for 1,274 yards on 220 carries in his final college season.
Is the hype real for a guy nursing a hamstring injury? Well, it all depends on who you ask. Sanders will be stuck in a backfield-by-committee situation with starter Jordan Howard in Philadelphia. That’s certainly a concern. However, fantasy experts mostly agree that he is the better all-around player and he’ll be worth a middle-round stash due to his pass-catching ability — and probably worth more in keeper leagues.
2019 Projections for Sanders
(ADP=Average Draft Position)
ADP: 74 (Round 6)
Rushing Attempts: 158
Rushing Yards: 623
Touchdowns: 6
Receiving Yards: 260
Points Per Game: 7.8
Carson Wentz, QB
The face of the franchise carries the dreaded “injury risk” tag with him, but Wentz’s ceiling is unbelievably high. ESPN and Sports Illustrated both have the fourth-year player ranked at No. 8 among quarterbacks on their fantasy rankings for 2019, with a consensus ADP of 97. The latter would make him a really good value pick in the eighth round. Wentz is getting early MVP looks, plus a 3-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
2018’s highest-graded quarterbacks in the NFC East
It’s true Wentz has been limited by short seasons — 13 games in 2017, 11 games in 2018 — but when he’s been healthy, the numbers have been downright nasty. He was the 13th-best fantasy quarterback last year after throwing for 3,074 yards and 21 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Even with his touchdowns taking a dip from gaudy numbers in 2017, Wentz still averaged 17.5 points in PPR formats.
2019 Projections for Wentz
(ADP=Average Draft Position)
ADP: 97 (Round 8)
Passing Yards: 4,163
Completions: 363
Passing TDs: 30
Rushing Yards: 206
Rushing TDs: 2
Points Per Game: 17.8
Alshon Jeffery, WR
Jeffery had a down year by his standards in 2018, so look for one of the NFL’s best possession receivers to rebound in a big way. While his receiving yards and touchdowns were up, Jeffery was targeted 28 less times in the same amount of games. He still averaged 9.3 fantasy points per game. That figure should rise dramatically with DeSean Jackson’s ability to stretch the field.
2018’s highest-graded wide receivers in the NFC East
ESPN has Jeffery rated as the 26th-best fantasy wideout for 2019, while Sports Illustrated ranks him at No. 23. According to Pro Football Focus, he was the third-best on wide receiver screens in 2018 and those targets should be there again for the taking. Jeffery is projected to average 9.3 fantasy points per game in PPR formats.
2019 Projections for Jeffery
(ADP=Average Draft Position)
ADP: 73 (Round 6)
Receptions: 75
Receiving Yards: 954
Receiving TDs: 6
Points Per Game: 9.3
Dallas Goedert, TE
This selection probably sounds like a contradiction since the Eagles “other” tight end’s production will be tied to Ertz. Maybe not. Goedert was a late bloomer in 2018 and still managed to put up 3.6 fantasy points per game. He hauled in 33 balls for 334 yards and four touchdowns. Remember, Doug Pederson hasn’t been shy about spreading the wealth in his pass-happy attack, especially in the red zone.
According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked in the top 10 in yards after the catch per reception (5.4) and missed tackles forced per reception (0.12) in his rookie year. He was also in the top 15 in yards per target (7.77) and passer rating when targeted (110.0). Wentz seemed to have chemistry with Goedert in spring practices, something that improved his sleeper stock.
2019 Projections for Goedert
(ADP=Average Draft Position)
ADP: 198 (Round 16)
Receptions: 42
Receiving Yards: 425
Receiving TDs: 5
Points Per Game: 5.6
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