There has been fallout from the health situation involving Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. The veteran originally got hurt against the Rams. Now, Hurts stands to miss time. And here is the Eagles’ fantasy football impact.
Any time a team loses its starting quarterback, things can get shaky in a hurry. And when it’s a player like Hurts, disaster can settle in quickly.
And not only are the Eagles off to a disappointing 2-3 start, but they also have numerous injury concerns. Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, and Dontayvion Wicks are all hurt. Plus, the Eagles recently lost standout offensive lineman Lane Johnson to retirement. And they traded center Cam Jurgens. That’s a string of tough blows.
Eagles fantasy outlook is a disaster
First, Tanner McKee takes over as the starting quarterback for the game against the Panthers. He has two NFL starts after being picked by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. McKee has put together a completion percentage of 61.4 with five touchdowns and one interception in his career.
Fantasy managers should avoid McKee at all costs this week. The Panthers don’t present a scary defense, but it’s hard to imagine McKee cutting loose for a big game. And since the Eagles could reunite with the recently released Andy Dalton, there’s always the fear of McKee getting pulled if he doesn’t perform well, or if the Eagles fall way behind.
This is a mess for fantasy managers of Barkley. Even if he somehow manages to play this week, it’s hard to imagine the Eagles moving the football consistently. The good news would be that Barkley could get a lot of carries if the Eagles go with a likely conservative game plan.
The bulk of the work against the Panthers could go to Dameon Pierce. But that’s not a good fantasy option.
What about the Eagles’ receivers?
Even if Smith or Wicks can make it to the field to face the Panthers, it’s going to be difficult for them to get respectable fantasy numbers. Makai Lemon and Darius Cooper could produce moderately good fantasy numbers in very deep leagues.
A big problem is the Eagles didn’t have much going well for the offense WITH hurts. They rank No. 29 in EPA per drive, No. 31 in yards, and No. 29 in points. The coaching staff is trying to sort it out, according to The Athletic.
Article Continues Below“We’re looking at that hard each and every week as a staff, how to find our rhythm, find our footing in the second half,” offensive coordinator Sean Mannion said. “I thought we did a better job and there were some close calls. It was more about finishing those drives. I think there were some chances there that we just didn’t quite capitalize on.”
Is there any fantasy hope for the Eagles?
At this point, it’s the defense. But even that’s a shaky place to go. The Eagles have been more of a middle-of-the-road unit than a top-notch group.
One thing that will help the Eagles’ defense is a conservative offensive game. But there’s also a chance the Eagles get pinned in bad spots on defense because the offense can’t move the ball.