Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders will not play in Week 1, leaving Boston Scott as the de-facto leader of the backfield. Scott, of course, earned a decent role in Philadelphia’s offense down the stretch, but we’ve yet to see him in a truly featured role. With only Corey Clement alongside him in the backfield, can Scott put up a decent performance, or will he fall short of expectations?
Fantasy Football: Boston Scott Outlook Without Miles Sanders
Rushing Projection
Miles Sanders had one of the biggest hype trains of the offseason, and it was all justified. As we talked about throughout the offseason, Philadelphia’s refusal to bring in outside competition spoke volumes about their confidence in Sanders. However, that also applies to Scott.
Running back is one of the most injury-prone positions in the league, and most teams try to be at least two or three deep at the position. If Philadelphia wasn’t confident in Scott’s ability to step in for Sanders, they would’ve found somebody that could.
With Sanders sidelined, the only other healthy running back on the roster is Corey Clement. Clement, of course, has spent the past few seasons in Philadelphia but has never been anything more than a complementary back. Clement missed the majority of 2019 with an injury, but couldn’t even see the field when healthy. The former undrafted free agent appeared in five games without recording a single offensive touch. He will see some work in Week 1, but Scott should be the overwhelming leader in the backfield.
Scott averaged 4.02 yards-per-carry last year, but that doesn’t tell the full story. Most of Scott’s carries came in passing situations, so let’s instead look at games where he received 10 or more carries. In those games, Scott averaged 3.90 yards per carry behind a solid offensive line. He certainly won’t set the world on fire, but he’s a perfectly competent runner that should be able to pick up what’s blocked for him. Additionally, Philadelphia should have a good amount of scoring opportunities for Scott to make his way into the endzone. Washington is also a bad team, so Scott could get some late-game garbage time carries to boost his overall numbers.
Boston Scott Passing Projection
This is where Scott shines. Boston Scott is no Christian McCaffrey as a receiver, but he easily has the tools to be an above-average threat out of the backfield. He already proved that last year, as Scott averaged 6.25 targets per game in the final four games of the season. In fairness, those targets came when Philadelphia has a completely depleted receiving corps, so a healthy unit probably means fewer targets.
The good news for Scott is that this is not a healthy unit. Alshon Jeffery and Miles Sanders down, rookie Jalen Reagor is battling a shoulder injury, and Marquise Goodwin opted out. The only reliable options for Carson Wentz are DeSean Jackson and tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. There’s a very real chance that Scott ends the day with the third- or fourth-most targets on the team.
This combination of carries and targets means that you can safety pencil Scott in for a low-end RB2 floor. While he’s definitely not as talented as Sanders, he should be able to make the most of his opportunity. Corey Clement isn’t anything more than a change-of-pace back, and Philadelphia’s projected high-scoring offense give Scott some decent upside. If you have him on your team, he’s a worthy start in your flex or RB2 spot
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