Running back Miles Sanders has been lauded as a likely breakout fantasy football candidate all offseason. However, his quest to do so will have to wait at least one more week as the Philadelphia Eagles’ second-year back has been ruled out for Week 1’s game against Washington with a hamstring injury.
With Sanders on the mend, the Birds will turn over their backfield to backup Boston Scott, should your fantasy team do the same?
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Boston Scott’s Fantasy Outlook vs. Washington
Despite his diminutive 5-foot-6-inch, 203-pound frame, Boston Scott is no stranger to carrying a large workload for the Eagles offense. Over the final four games of the 2019 season, the ex-Lousiana Tech standout averaged more than 15 total touches and nearly 88 total yards per game. Over that period, Scott’s 20.5 fantasy points per game ranked as the RB7 in PPR-scoring formats, outscoring the likes of fantasy studs such as Alvin Kamara, Derrick Henry and Austin Ekeler.
While Scott proved himself as a viable ball carrier in 2019 (4.02 ypc) it’s his abilities in the passing game that helped fantasy owners make a title push late last season and also what makes him an intriguing play this Sunday.
Over the final four weeks of last season, Scott never once saw fewer than six targets come his week. He would go on to haul in 23 of his 25 targets over that span, averaging nearly 50 receiving yards per game. That’s certainly a stat line that should bode well for Scott vs. Washington.
Washington surrendered the third-most fantasy points to the running back position last season, joining the Panthers and Jaguars as the only three teams to allow 29-plus points on a per-game basis. Running backs who played Washington in 2019 saw 126 targets come their way, sixth-most in football. The position’s success rate was just as good, as they reeled in 96 of those receptions vs. Washington, once again ranking as the sixth-most in said category.
To further drive home the tantalizing matchup on hand for Scott, Washington allowed a staggering 146.2 yards per game on the ground a season ago, second-most in the NFL.
Should You Start or Sit Boston Scott in Week 1?
Will Scott tout the rock 20-plus times vs. Washington? Almost certainly not. With that said, Sanders carried the ball 20 times only once in 2019 and owners felt more than comfortable spending a late-first, early-second round pick on the Eagles running back.
Scott was primed to man a role in Philly’s backfield, with or without Sanders in the lineup. Sanders having been ruled out simply increases the volume.
The matchup vs. Washington lines up perfectly with Scott’s skill set, which should in return make him a viable low-end RB2 in PPR leagues this week at the very worst.
The only other notable running back on the Eagles roster, Corey Clement, was limited in practice this week due to a quadricep injury. Even if healthy, there’s no reason to believe he would man a large role, as Philadelphia’s offense veered away from Clement heavily this past season. The former Super Bowl hero played zero offensive snaps in three of his four games in 2019, before ultimately being placed on season-ending IR with a shoulder injury.
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Boston Scott Fantasy: Start or Sit Eagles RB With Miles Sanders Out?