Philadelphia Eagles: Top 5 Fantasy Players to Target
Five Eagles Fantasy Targets
The true die-hard fantasy experts are already well into their mock drafts and planning for the upcoming 2013 fantasy football season. Whether you’re in a keeper league, standard league, auction league or PPR, you can never do enough research. I, myself, read Love/Hate from Matthew Berry every single week for starters.
One team that would not have been great for your fantasy team last year would be the Philadelphia Eagles. On the field, it was a disastrous 4-12 season that led to the firing of Andy Reid and the hiring of Chip Kelly. In the fantasy world, it wasn’t much prettier.
Quarterback Michael Vick finished 27th amongst quarterbacks in standard ESPN leagues and turned the ball over 16 times while playing in only 10 games because of injury. LeSean McCoy finished 18th among running backs and played in only 12 games. Jeremy Maclin finished 24th and DeSean Jackson 59th while playing in only 11 games.
But there is reason for optimism. For one, it can’t get any worse than it did last year. For another, Chip Kelly brings an exciting new offense that dominated at the college level at the University of Oregon. Questions remain at quarterback, but they still have the weapons to contend for a division title and have reloaded their struggling defense and cut ties with some of their useless veterans.
What does this mean in the world of fantasy? It is now safe to draft some Eagles once again! Here is your guide to everything Philly: the top five players to target in green for your fantasy draft.
Zach Slotter is a contributor for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @zslot6, Like his Facebook page and add him on Google.
5. DeSean Jackson
Although it was a down year, D-Jax still has extreme playmaking ability with a career average of 17.5 yards per reception. He won’t get you a ton of receptions, but he’s worth a middle-round pick solely because of the home-run threat and the added bonus of punt returns.
4. Jeremy Maclin
Why does Jackson’s counterpart get the nod? Because he is in a contract year and that means he will do everything in his power to stay healthy and produce on the field, which means gold mine for fantasy owners. Maclin is better suited for PPR leagues because he will go across the middle and move the chains, so his value increases slightly in that format.
3. Alex Henery
Alex Henery has had a pretty successful first two seasons as kicker of the Eagles. He went 27-for-31 last year and this new high-octane offense should put up points regardless of who is on the field. Henery will get his chances and could be a top-10 kicker this year.
2. Eagles Defense/ST
After finishing 31st in fantasy scoring a year ago, you might think I am joking about this but this is a completely new defense. Moving to the 3-4 format will open up opportunities to rush the passer. A completely new secondary, if healthy, will show much improvement. Take a chance on Philly’s D before round 10 and they could end up being a top-five defense if they put it all together.
1. LeSean McCoy
This is an absolute no brainer. An up-tempo, college-style offense is a dream for a guy like McCoy who noticeably does better when he gets more touches. He scored double digits in 11 of the 12 games he played, but only scored two touchdowns. This year, he will for sure be the focal point of the offense, getting at least 25 touches a game. McCoy is worth a keeper selection as well as a pick in the first two rounds. Don’t get scared away by last year; this is a brand new team and McCoy will lead the charge.
Five Eagles Fantasy Targets
The true die-hard fantasy experts are already well into their mock drafts and planning for the upcoming 2013 fantasy football season. Whether you’re in a keeper league, standard league, auction league or PPR, you can never do enough research. I, myself, read Love/Hate from Matthew Berry every single week for starters.
One team that would not have been great for your fantasy team last year would be the Philadelphia Eagles. On the field, it was a disastrous 4-12 season that led to the firing of Andy Reid and the hiring of Chip Kelly. In the fantasy world, it wasn’t much prettier.
Quarterback Michael Vick finished 27th amongst quarterbacks in standard ESPN leagues and turned the ball over 16 times while playing in only 10 games because of injury. LeSean McCoy finished 18th among running backs and played in only 12 games. Jeremy Maclin finished 24th and DeSean Jackson 59th while playing in only 11 games.
But there is reason for optimism. For one, it can’t get any worse than it did last year. For another, Chip Kelly brings an exciting new offense that dominated at the college level at the University of Oregon. Questions remain at quarterback, but they still have the weapons to contend for a division title and have reloaded their struggling defense and cut ties with some of their useless veterans.
What does this mean in the world of fantasy? It is now safe to draft some Eagles once again! Here is your guide to everything Philly: the top five players to target in green for your fantasy draft.
Zach Slotter is a contributor for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @zslot6, Like his Facebook page and add him on Google.
5. DeSean Jackson
Although it was a down year, D-Jax still has extreme playmaking ability with a career average of 17.5 yards per reception. He won’t get you a ton of receptions, but he’s worth a middle-round pick solely because of the home-run threat and the added bonus of punt returns.
4. Jeremy Maclin
Why does Jackson’s counterpart get the nod? Because he is in a contract year and that means he will do everything in his power to stay healthy and produce on the field, which means gold mine for fantasy owners. Maclin is better suited for PPR leagues because he will go across the middle and move the chains, so his value increases slightly in that format.
3. Alex Henery
Alex Henery has had a pretty successful first two seasons as kicker of the Eagles. He went 27-for-31 last year and this new high-octane offense should put up points regardless of who is on the field. Henery will get his chances and could be a top-10 kicker this year.
2. Eagles Defense/ST
After finishing 31st in fantasy scoring a year ago, you might think I am joking about this but this is a completely new defense. Moving to the 3-4 format will open up opportunities to rush the passer. A completely new secondary, if healthy, will show much improvement. Take a chance on Philly’s D before round 10 and they could end up being a top-five defense if they put it all together.
1. LeSean McCoy
This is an absolute no brainer. An up-tempo, college-style offense is a dream for a guy like McCoy who noticeably does better when he gets more touches. He scored double digits in 11 of the 12 games he played, but only scored two touchdowns. This year, he will for sure be the focal point of the offense, getting at least 25 touches a game. McCoy is worth a keeper selection as well as a pick in the first two rounds. Don’t get scared away by last year; this is a brand new team and McCoy will lead the charge.
