Fantasy Football Fallout: Alshon Jeffery Joins Philadelphia Eagles

There’s an on-field impact and the fantasy football fallout for NFL offseason moves. Alshon Jeffery joins the Philadelphia Eagles, and we debate the effects.

As a member of the Chicago Bears, wide receiver Alshon Jeffery broke onto the scene after just one year. His sophomore season in the NFL, Jeffery was targeted 150 times, amassed more than 1,400 receiving yards and scored seven touchdowns. The next season, he was almost as good. Jeffery topped 1,100 yards and scored 10 times.

From there, a mix of injuries and suspensions pushed Jeffery to the sideline more than his team would have wished. He played just 21 of the team’s next 32 games, never reaching 900 yards in either season. Now he is a member of the Eagles. This is the fantasy football fallout.

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, discuss Fantasy Football in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

Through free agency, the six-year receiver is now joining a new offense in Philadelphia. So which Jeffery is coming to the Eagles, the one from 2013-14 or the one from 2015-16? I am usually critical and cautious of big-time receivers replicating production in a new home, but I think Jeffery has a big year. His fantasy value is definitely up.

First, he went from one of the worst situations in the league to an up-and-coming team in Philadelphia. Carson Wentz is arguably the young quarterback that folks around the league like the most. He is also dying for a go-to receiver after not having one in his rookie year. Jeffery fits that bill to a tee.

It is hard to know for sure if Jeffery is going to stay healthy, but we can be sure that he will produce in droves when on the field. I think Jeffery is back to being an elite fantasy wide receiver, in that second tier after the stars of the sport. You can make a solid case for Jeffery after the top half dozen guys at the position. He has as much claim to the next spot as anyone else.

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There is doubt with him holding up for 16 games and joining a new system, but his doubt is no more real than someone else’s. DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins, Michael Thomas, Allen Robinson and so many other top receivers have questions surrounding them for 2017. I feel good about the offense Jeffery is in, the quarterback he will have throwing him the ball, and his ceiling as a player.

Dan Salem:

I hate to admit this, but you basically convinced me that Jeffery will succeed with the Eagles. I know he was once great, but I have been far from a believer these past few seasons. The Bears were very bad and Jeffery was rarely on the football field. Yet the past has little to do with his future in Philadelphia, and we see savvy veterans elevate their game far too often on new teams for me to bet against Alshon Jeffery doing the same.

Wentz and the Philadelphia offense have a ton of potential, but needed a reliable weapon in the passing game. A young quarterback’s best friend is a veteran receiver to lean on, and Jeffery fits that bill. He is due for a healthy season and his fantasy value is trending through the roof.

We can’t put Jeffery in the first tier of wide receivers just yet, because that must be earned. A healthy and productive season with the Eagles puts him right back there, but I agree that for now he is a high second-tier fantasy option. That being said, he’s likely drafted like a No. 1 guy. People want to be the guy that knew, the owner that called the comeback. Jeffery is the ultimate “get” in drafts, so expect him to be overvalued entering the season.

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Is it fair to say that this move also elevates Wentz’s fantasy value? He was a reach at quarterback before Jeffery. But now that he has a bonafide top option, what is his ceiling? Can we even identify one? I love the sleeper potential of Wentz at quarterback this season.

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