The Philadelphia Eagles moved into first place in the NFC East with a victory over the Washington Commanders. How should fantasy managers react to key performances in a game featuring multiple fantasy-relevant players on exciting offenses?
Don’t Overreact to Commander Surprises
All season, Terry McLaurin has been a strong option. Tonight, he entered as the WR7 in PPR leagues, averaging 14 points per game. However, he saw just 2 targets and finished with 2 points. As fantasy analyst Josh Larky pointed out pre-game, the Eagles have done a great job limiting outside receiver production. McLaurin had a dud, but he’s still a high-end WR2.
On the flip side, Austin Ekeler had his second-best point total of the season with 17.6. With Brian Robinson Jr. returning from injury, expectations for Ekeler were low. He only received 2 carries and had just 7 rushing yards.
Almost all of his production came through the air, as he caught a season-high 8 passes on 9 targets. As a great receiving back, Ekeler will have a solid floor, but if he is only receiving single-digit carries, as has been the case in every game Robinson Jr. has played, he will struggle to reach any sort of ceiling. Ekeler is a decent flex option if you are desperate, but shouldn’t start on any good fantasy teams.
Eagles Wide Receivers Hurting for Touchdowns
Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley are just too good in short-yardage situations for the Eagles to throw the ball at the goal line. The duo combined for 3 rushing touchdowns this week, and have scored 19 this season. A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith have just 7 combined scores through the air.
There has not been a game this season where both players have caught a touchdown pass, making both players risky starts. Hurts already averages under 230 yards a game. If he isn’t throwing them touchdowns, they don’t have a high ceiling, and Smith has shown a low floor. Brown is a WR2 rest-of-season, and Smith is a high-end WR3.
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