Who are the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season?
That statement could be about Philadelphia's general lack of identity on the offensive side of the ball. Or maybe the fact that, when push has come to shove, the Eagles' defense has bent to the point of breaking against a pair of playoff teams in the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams in Weeks 4 and 5.
But it could also just come down to who is actually going to suit up when the ball is tipped off at 9:30 AM ET in London, as the Eagles currently have 15 players on their injury report for Week 5, with eight either out or questionable to play against the Jaguars. Factor in Lane Johnson's abrupt decision to retire and Howie Roseman trading Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens for a pair of picks, and the Eagles will look very different in Week 5 than in even Week 4, and especially from the team that won the Super Bowl just two seasons ago.
Needless to say, from a fantasy football perspective, if you need production for the Eagles, the pickin's are slim.
Don't start a single Eagles running back
In a normal world, where the Eagles are riding into London with a full-strength roster, Saquon Barkley has to remain a starting-caliber running back in fantasy football unless your roster is loaded.
On paper, Barkley's stats are kind of crazy. He has two games where he rushed for less than 10 yards and two where he ran for at least 82, creating per-game averages that don't exactly tell the complete story. Even if the Eagles' new outside zone running game hasn't quite worked out for Sean Mannion's offense just yet, Barkley has been able to take advantage of it better than most and has the athleticism to work in pretty much any scheme if the blocking in front of him is alright.
But with Barkley out and his primary backup, Tank Bigsby, on injured reserve after surgery, the Eagles' running backs room will look a little different in Week 5 and, as a result, is tough to judge quantitatively as they enter a clash against the 12th-ranked defense in the NFL.
In the past, Will Shipley has turned in some quality performances for the Eagles when he's been given a chance, famously picking up 77 yards on the ground against the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game in 2025. But over his three-year professional career, Shipley has only recorded a carry in 13 of the 40 games he's appeared in, making his chance to be a bellcow back in London a tough ask.
Behind Shipley on the 53-man roster, there's Dameon Pierce, who Nick Sirianni called a starting-caliber running back during the week, and preseason star Carson Steele, who hasn't recorded a carry in the regular season since 2024. The Eagles also have Jaydon Blue on their practice squad, but after calling up tackle John Ojukwu and Zach Ertz, neither is an option to play in the game.
Through the first four weeks of the 2025 NFL season, the Eagles have rushed for less than 100 yards only once, in Week 2, and that trend is unlikely to change in Week 5. Who actually gets those carries, however, is impossible to predict, making starting any one player in particular a tough ask.
The Eagles have one pass-catcher worth starting (if he's healthy)
Much like at running back, the Eagles are far from fully stocked at wide receiver and tight end, and could very well end up with just one holdover starter from Week 1, Makai Lemon, on the field if Dallas Goedert is unable to return for Week 5.
DeVonta Smith? Out with a hamstring. Dontayvion Wicks? Questionable with a hamstring. Goedert is questionable as well, even if he was a full-go at practice on Friday, and Hollywood Brown remains out with an ankle injury. Ertz has been called up for the final time from the practice squad, but Eli Stowers is still on injured reserve despite being eligible to return, and EJ Jenkins was on the injury report too.
Throw that all together, and the Eagles may be forced to play a ton of 12 personnel in Week 5, with Lemon and Darius Cooper on the outside and Ertz and Goedert at tight end, assuming Wicks also can't play.
In terms of fantasy football, that's pretty brutal, but the Eagles aren't completely out of viable fantasy options, even if counting on Jalen Hurts as a low-level QB1 is probably not the safest bet in Week 5.
If Goedert is available to play in Week 5, he's worth a flyer in fantasy. He's Hurts' favorite target on the team when fully healthy, catching more passes from QB1 than any other player on the team right now, and even if he's somewhat limited with a knee injury, most of his catches are sub-20-yard receptions anyway, as his 11.5 yards-per-reception career average proves.
If Goedert can't go but Wicks can, he's an alright option in a pinch, but after recording at least 72 receiving yards in each of the first two games of the season, his production has dipped, catching two balls for 32 yards in Week 3 and three balls for 18 yards in Week 4 despite earning five targets in each game.
Article Continues BelowIn summation, unless your fantasy football team is as injured as the Eagles, Goedert is probably the only offensive player worth starting in Week 5.
The Eagles' defense remains fool's gold
Heading into the 2026 NFL season, the Eagles defense was a popular second-tier option for fantasy football managers who weren't willing to pay up for the Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, or Los Angeles Rams.
Once again, this makes sense. Despite losing some key talent during the offseason, including Nakobe Dean and Jaelan Phillips, the Eagles still had Vic Fangio, kept many of their best young players, and even added Riq Woolen and Jonathan Greenard to the mix for good measure.
And yet, one month into the 2026 NFL season, the Eagles defense has been below-average across the board, including in fantasy football, where they have recorded 11 points combined as a unit, three each in Weeks 1 and 2, zero in Week 3, and five in Week 4.
Facing off against a Jaguars team that ranks 12th in points scored, 19th in passing yards per game, and 12th in rushing yards per game, the Eagles might be able to hold things down and give Trevor Lawrence fits with their competitive secondary and strength up front. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Michael Carter II played very well in Week 4 in reserve duty, and Zack Baun returning can only lead to good results. But as a general rule, the Eagles don't get very many sacks and don't get many interceptions either, with their bend-but-don't-break attitude counterintuitive to success when the offense goes three-and-out roughly half the time. Unless it's an absolute emergency, until the Eagles' offense gets it together, their defense's success will likely vary widely from week to week too.