May 28, 2015
Kathy Willens/AP
Jordan Matthews could be a fantasy football stud in his second season in the NFL
The Eagles may or may not be a playoff caliber team this year, depending on quarterback stability, the health of the offensive line, significant questions in the defensive secondary, and a whole host of other lesser concerns. However, one area where they'll likely pay off this season no what what happens is in the world of fantasy football.
I'm a little behind in getting to this, but Evan Silva of Rotoworld ranked his top 150 fantasy football players for 2015 a few weeks ago, and a bunch of Eagles appear on his list. Let's take a look at them individually.
Evan's blurb: Still top-shelf RB1, but touches are a lock to dip.
#JimmySays: Yep. Including the playoffs, Murray had a ridiculous 497 touches. With a number of additional weapons in the backfield in Philly, Murray won't come anywhere near that total with the Eagles. Still, he has an opportunity to do great things as a one-cut, north-south runner in the Eagles' offense.
Evan's blurb: 70-1,118-10 pace over 2nd half of rookie year.
#JimmySays: Matthews broke into the NFL the wrong year. Because the draft was so absurdly strong in 2014, he's a bit of an afterthought nationally, and even a bit underrated locally. Personally, I think Matthews is going to be a really good player who consistently puts up big numbers over the course of a long career. In the short term, I expect Matthews to have a big season.
Evan's blurb: Maclin role. 190 targets missing from PHI offense.
*Note: Agholor is Silva's highest ranked rookie WR.
#JimmySays: Silva mentions Jeremy Maclin in the blurb about Agholor, which I get. I see a lot of the same attributes in those two players. I also agree with Silva's logic that with Maclin gone, someone has to get the targets that he formerly received, although I do think the Eagles will be a lot more dedicated to the run game in 2015.
Evan's blurb: Trust his role will grow. Top breakout TE candidate in '14.
#JimmySays: Ertz's role should grow, but I'm not sure it will. Brent Celek is on the books this season for $4.8 million against the cap in 2015 with no penalty to cut him, but the Eagles opted to keep him aboard. Celek is going to play. A lot. He's going to get more snaps than Ertz, I'd bet, which I don't get.
Evan's blurb: Becomes top-5 fantasy RB1 if Murray goes down.
#JimmySays: Oooh, "top 5" might be a bit much, but I do agree that if Murray goes down, Mathews is a tough runner who will put up big numbers. Of course, Mathews will in turn need to stay healthy in that lead back role, which has always been a problem for him.
Evan's blurb: Sanchez/Foles/Vick = 65 TDs last 2 years under Chip
#JimmySays: This may seem low for Bradford, but Silva places all QBs low in his rankings. For example, he has a cluster of QBs right around Bradford. Eli is 112, Rivers 113, Ryan 114, Romo 115, and Stafford 117. But his point is dead on that any QB is going to put up numbers in Chip's offense.
• 18. LeSean McCoy -- Still an RB1, but his situation is worse in Buffalo.
• 50. DeSean Jackson -- Went 56-1,169-9 in first season under Jay Gruden.
• 62. Jeremy Maclin -- WR1 in Philly to low-ceiling WR2 with Alex Smith.
• Unranked -- Nick Foles.
Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @JimmyKempski
