Fantasy Football Stock Watch: Risers and fallers in the NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles – Fantasy Football Stock Watch

In the understatement of the year, the Eagles surprised everyone with their first two draft picks. Jalen Reagor was not the wide receiver most expected the Birds to take, and virtually no one saw Jalen Hurts going off the board in Round 2, much less to the Eagles.

From there, the Eagles rebounded from widespread criticism, ending the draft strong with one of the league’s best collections of mid- and late-round talent, including two additional speedster wide receivers: Boise State’s John Hightower and Southern Mississippi’s Quez Watkins. Carson Wentz has to be licking his lips.

Despite a depressing lack of speed after losing DeSean Jackson to an injury for most of the season, Wentz became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards without the aid of a single wide receiver hauling in 500 or more yards. In the 100 year history of the league, no quarterback in history has done more with less at the position; let the gravity of that sink in for a moment.

The plethora of new faces at wide receiver does not bode well for last year’s second-round pick JJ Arcega-Whiteside, and it further threatens the long-term prospects of Jackson and Alshon Jeffery. The former still manages to offer sneaky upside at his current ADP, especially in best ball leagues.

The draft’s impact on Wentz is undeniable, however: after disproving fragility claims by playing his second 16 game season in four years, I fervently believe he’s more likely to finish inside the top five than he is to end up outside of the top 12.

The second-biggest stock lift in Philadelphia belongs to Miles Sanders. Despite two intriguing undrafted free agent signings, Cincinnati’s Michael Warren and UCF’s Adrian Killens, the Eagles spent no draft capital on the running back position after losing Jordan Howard to free agency.

Many analysts claim that Head Coach Doug Pederson lives and dies by a running back by committee. However, subscribing to that theory rejects all notions of his roles and experiences under Andy Reid, his mentor and biggest influence. 

Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles and Kareem Hunt all owe their NFL successes in large part to Andy Reid’s scheme. Now, ask yourself: is Miles Sanders better than at least half of these four players? The answer is a resounding “yes”.

While his elite efficiency is undeniable, the big debate in the fantasy football community surrounds Sanders’ projected usage in 2020. As reported by NJ.com, Pederson had this to say in an interview today on 94.1 FM  Philadelphia:

"“Boston [Scott] came on last year and did a fabulous job for us in kind of a relief pitcher (role) for Miles,” Pederson said. “And we brought back Corey [Clement], and Corey has been a great addition. I know he’s been injured the last couple of seasons but he gives you a little bit of depth there.”"

In the same interview, Pederson said Sanders is capable of “carrying the load.” It’s becoming abundantly clear that even if the Eagles decide to sign a veteran other than Corey Clement to their running back stable, Sanders will still command the majority of the backfield’s touches, in spite of Boston Scott’s impressive stint last season.

Bear in mind how much Sanders improved throughout the season while working with running back guru Duce Staley. Now, take a quick look at how Sanders stacks up to every other running back Pederson has worked with in his tenure in Philadelphia:

https://twitter.com/DrewDeLaware/status/1258801078545645568?s=20

While some will fight me to the death on Twitter over the 2020 outlook for Sanders, most remain high on tight end Zach Ertz. He and Dallas Goedert are both listed among my top 12 tight ends for 2020.

It’s highly likely that an increasingly efficient offense can support two fantasy-worthy players at the position. Even if both receive slightly less volume than anticipated, they both stand to benefit from a more potent passing attack and improved red zone efficiency.