Eagles Hub Fantasy Football Debate
Eagles Hub’s own Jacob Brooks and Randy Jobst go head-to-head for a fun Fantasy Football debate. Let us know what you think and if you agree. You can find Jacob on Twitter at: @RZW_Brooks and Randy at: @Randyljobst
*All fantasy questions are assuming a standard, PPR, 12 team format.
What is the Earliest Round You Would Draft Jay Ajayi?
Jacob: For me, the earliest I would draft Jay Ajayi is early round 4 (late round 3 depending on your draft position). I do think his numbers improve this season in a more “featured” role, but everyone knows that in Philly, its a RBBC backfield. This is a contract year for Ajayi and he is calling himself “The forgotten Running Back in the NFC East” which leads me to believe he is poised to prove his worth with a great year. Ajayi has never been much of a receiving back, so that hurts his value in a PPR format, but I believe he still has solid RB2 value on any team. If you do draft Ajayi, keep an eye on the Clement handcuff later in the draft.
If you do draft Ajayi, keep an eye on the Corey Clement handcuff later in the draft.
Randy: They keyword when talking about Ajayi in fantasy this year is CONTRACT YEAR. Ajayi is set be an unrestricted free agent and for running backs, the contract after their rookie contract is complete is their best chance to cash in. This is why Le’Veon Bell isn’t settling for $15 million a year with the Steelers and it’s why Ajayi has to have a big year this season. I wouldn’t spend a top 12 pick on him this year, but a late 2nd or early 3rd round pick is probably about right. I wouldn’t go too crazy with his value, Doug Pederson does like to split carries in his backfield, but Ajayi can still delivery with less carries. His burst and powers allows for a ton of chunk plays.
Is Zach Ertz worthy of Being the 2nd or 3rd TE Drafted in Fantasy?
Jacob: Absolutely! No question in my mind that Zach Ertz should be the 2nd or 3rd TE taken overall. I actually like him as the #2 TE now that Alex Smith was shipped to Washington. I like what Patrick Mahomes brings to the QB position in Kansas City, but with only 1 NFL start under his belt he should have some bumps this season. They say “A good Tight End is a Quarterbacks best friend” so Mahomes might try to rely on Travis Kelce, but I am not certain the chemistry is there yet. Carson Wentz and Zach Ertz have an established relationship and coming off an injury, I expect Wentz to look for his TE while he builds his confidence in his knee.
Randy: This is where I strongly disagree with Jacob. Ertz is a top 3 receiving tight end in this league, but the stats won’t show that this year and they really didn’t last season. Last year was supposedly his breakout season, but he still only had 824 yards in 2017. In terms of receiving yards, he still had 200 fewer yards than both Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce and Ertz is going to have to share more targets this season with the additions of Dallas Goedert, Mike Wallace and the return of Darren Sproles. I love Ertz on my football team, but his stats won’t be worthy of a top 3 fantasy tight end this year.
Which Eagle Should Be Drafted First in Fantasy After Ajayi and Ertz?
Jacob: I think it has to be Alshon Jeffery. Last season Alshon was on a new team, a team quite frankly that wasn’t used to having a true #1 WR and he still had some production. He also joined an offense that saw 3 players (Ertz, Jeffery and Agholor) all have over 700yds receiving and at least 8 TD’s, Alshon still found a way to get his numbers. The chemistry with Wentz has grown and Alshon has his new contract. I think Jeffery out plays his predictions this season, check out my Fantasy Profile on him.
Randy: I get Jacob’s points with Jeffery and he will most likely be the third Eagle taken in 99% of all fantasy football drafts, but I really believe that Nelson Agholor is the better value. Last year he had 5 more receptions and just 21 fewer yards and one less touchdown. Agholor was also coming off a nightmare season and his confidence at an all-time low. According to just about every training camp report to date, that isn’t the case with Agholor right now. He’s torching every defensive back that is attempting to cover him. He’s also a much more versatile receiver than Jeffery. As long as your league is a PPR league, I think Agholor is the better play.
I get Jacob’s points with Jeffery and he will most likely be the third Eagle taken in 99% of all fantasy football drafts, but I really believe that Nelson Agholor is the better value.
At What Point in Fantasy Draft Would You Draft the Eagles DST?
Jacob: To be completely honest, I have never shied away from drafting a DST (usually the Eagles) earlier than the last few rounds when I believed they had a strong Defensive Line, ball-hawks in the Secondary, and a great Special Teams unit. This 2018 Eagles Defense is shaping up to be one of the best we’ve seen. Aggressive young talent at the Cornerback position, a Defensive Line that has a 2nd rotation that would be starters on most teams, veteran leadership at Safety (not to mention the Special Teams Ace/Captain is back this season) and Sproles always adds Punt Return value to the mix. I would feel comfortable taking the Eagles Defense around Round 13 and if my roster went really well, even late Round 12.
Randy: I’ll be honest, I don’t draft a DST until the third to last round in fantasy. Then I take another DST(with a different bye week) in the second to last round follow by a kicker in the last round. I will say as far as DSTs go, the Eagles are a really good play in in fantasy because of they are a defense that will produce a lot of sacks and turnovers without giving up a ton of points, but I just don’t see the value in taking one until the final 3 rounds.
Who Is Your Eagles Fantasy Steal This Year?
Jacob: I am not sure it can be considered a steal this year, but my pick would be Nelson Agholor. Nelly has had a really up and down career thus far, but seemed to put everything together in 2017. Early reports from Eagles Training Camp are that he has improved over last year and looks faster than ever. I mentioned it before, but I think Wentz utilizes short/mid routes a lot until he gains full trust in his knee and no Wide Receiver last season produced a higher Wide Receiver rating (WR rating is the passer rating that a quarterback earns when throwing to that receiver) on slant routes than Nelson Agholor. His 135.6 rating was tops in the league and his 113.6 WR rating on Wide Receiver Screens ranked 5th in the league. I expect Wentz to keep his confidence level high and for Agholor to continue to rise. *Bold prediction is that Agholor might lead the Eagles in receiving yards in 2018.
Randy: Give me Darren Sproles all the way here. He’s back and fully healthy coming off ACL surgery. He’s probably the Eagles fourth best receiver, second or third best runner, their best return man and their best third down back. He’s going to see the field a ton of a backup running back and he’s a nightmare to cover in the slot. It’s also his final season in the league and the coaching staff is going to make sure he goes out with a bang. He won’t be a consistent 100 yard player, but he’ll get a few carries and targets every single game and is always a big play threat. He won’t carry your fantasy team, but he’ll be a great value in the later rounds of your draft.
