The Philadelphia Eagles went into last season with a rookie quarterback, less than stellar receivers and shaky running backs. As a result, their offense performed very inconsistent. Fantasy wise, there was really no Eagles player that warranted a start on a normal scoring fantasy team. Overall, the Eagles fantasy season was a downer and a team to generally avoid when deciding to who start each week. Let’s recap their fantasy season by each relevant position.
Philadelphia Eagles 2016 Fantasy Football Recap
Quarterback
Carson Wentz was the starter all 16 games during the season as a rookie and did just about all you can ask for a rookie quarterback. He finished with 3,782 yards, 16 touchdowns to 14 interceptions, and a QBR of 79.3. In terms of fantasy, he averaged 12.6 points per game and racked up 202 total. While the stats don’t jump off the screen, consider that he was doing the best he could with a young, inexperienced offense. He showed lots of promise, though, and his accuracy and decision-making already look very good. Nevertheless, his season high in fantasy points was 21 in Week 3 against Chicago and he was the 24th ranked quarterback in terms of points. Next season, he should improve significantly with the additions of Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith and a new running back through free agency or the draft. His stock should greatly increase as the season goes on. He could even finish the season as a top 15 quarterback. Fantasy owners should feel good with him next year and expect him to be a QB2, with a ceiling of QB1.
Running Back
The running back position was very inconsistent, with more bad than good. Splitting the position was Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles and Wendell Smallwood.
Mathews got most of the carries but was extremely inconsistent. He missed three games with injury and never got a rhythm down. One game he was dominating, like against Atlanta where he had 19 carries for 109 yards, two touchdowns and 27 fantasy points. Another game could be the exact opposite, like against the Giants where he had 18 carries for a measly 46 yards, zero touchdowns and just five fantasy points. Safe to say, Mathews will be the running back most likely to be gone by next year and have a new home.
Darren Sproles has always been a better receiver than runner, but even last year he struggled to get hot. He only had three games over ten fantasy points. He will have to get his receiving game back on track to be a serviceable fantasy back again.
Wendell Smallwood was a rookie out of West Virginia last season. For the most part, he had a limited playing role and was never able to show his full potential. His fantasy season was merely as a handcuff and he was barely owned. With the Birds most likely bringing in a new running back for the future this offseason, his role will only go down. A handcuff is all he will be heading into next season.
Wide Receiver
Easily, this was the Eagles most disappointing fantasy position on the year. They were just not good, ranking tenth in the NFL in drops with 24. Their corps were led by Jordan Matthews, Dorial Green-Beckham and Nelson Agholor.
Matthews took a big step back. His fantasy production was good in previous seasons and he was just about owned on every team, even started on a decent amount. Last season, he had just 91 points and dropped six passes. His future seems very shaky now and he has probably fallen to a WR3 to start next year.
Green-Beckham was expected to become a big playmaker after Philadelphia traded for him, but he never panned out. He never learned the Eagles system fully and couldn’t rise higher on the depth chart. He only had one game in double-digits and finished the year with 45 points. There is a decent chance he is not on the Eagles roster to start next season and even if he is, he will be down their depth chart again and irrelevant from a fantasy standpoint.
Nelson Agholor has been a bust since being drafted in the first round a couple seasons ago. He has never developed into a number one receiver and dropped passes continue to plague him. He was abysmal last season, scoring 45 fantasy points, catching only two touchdowns and never having more than four receptions in a game all year. Nelson Agholor may have run his course in Philly.
Tight End
Zach Ertz led the way for Philadelphia in a growing role with the team. He finished last season with 98 fantasy points on 78 catches and four touchdowns. He was the eighth ranked tight end in fantasy, but it was still surprising to see him and Wentz not develop a chemistry. Year two for Wentz should strengthen the connection with Ertz and his stock should be high next year, possibly a TE1.
Kicker
Kicking for the Eagles was Caleb Sturgis, the four-year vet. He was very solid for them all year long and one of their unsung heroes. He finished 35/41 on field goals, with seven makes from 40-49 and four from 50+. The best part of the season may have been him going 30/31 on new extra points from the 33-yard line, which many kickers across the NFL struggled with. He finished the season as the fourth ranked kicker and next season he can be just as good of a fantasy kicker.
Defense/Special Teams
The defense for Philly was not that great overall. They gave up 20.7 points per game and 342.8 yards per contest and only averaged 7.9 fantasy points per game. Still, they racked up 127 fantasy points and ranked sixth overall in fantasy defenses in points. They had six games in double-digits and scored five touchdowns. Their special teams have been one of the best units in football the last couple seasons and that continued this past season. If they can keep their special teams core together and improve their defense in the draft, they can make a push up the rankings. Expect a middle of the pack fantasy defense, with potential to be top ten again.
