2024 Philadelphia Eagles Team Outlook
The Eagles were the team to beat through the first 12 weeks of the 2023 season before a significant decline in play. After beginning 10-1, they lost five of six and allowed the Cowboys to leapfrog them in the standings. And on Super Wild Card Weekend, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dismantled the Eagles, 32-9, ending Philly's hopes at another Super Bowl appearance.
Jalen Hurts is a dominant fantasy quarterback. After finishing as the QB2 in fantasy, Hurts should remain an elite option with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert at his disposal. Philly acquired Parris Campbell and DeVante Parker to bolster the wide receiver depth. Plus, they drafted Ainias Smith in the fifth round and Johnny Wilson in Round 6.
The biggest upgrade in this offense came with a surprising move in free agency. The Eagles signed RB Saquon Barkley, to a three-year, $37.75 million deal. D'Andre Swift moved on to the Chicago Bears but the Eagles now have one of the best running backs in the NFL behind a strong offensive line with a mobile quarterback and great pass-catching weapons. Howie Roseman also selected Will Shipley out of Clemson in the fourth round but he will serve as the third-stringer behind Barkley and Kenneth Gainwell.
Brown finished as the WR5 after totaling 106 receptions for 1,456 yards and seven trips to the end zone. Smith finished as the WR19 with 81 catches for 1,066 yards and seven touchdowns. Brown will remain a WR1 and Smith should be a high-end WR2 heading into 2024.
Although Dallas Goedert was in and out of the lineup, he still finished as a fringe TE1. Despite missing three games, Goedert tallied 59 receptions for 591 yards and three touchdowns. He was the TE13 on the season but his numbers will likely improve playing a full season given the open space he should see across the middle with the attention that Brown, Smith, and Barkley will command.
Although this looks like the ideal landing spot for Barkley, touchdowns are the one thing fantasy managers may be missing. We all know Philly's propensity for the tush push, which may result in Hurts vulturing touchdown opportunities from Barkley. Still, this is the best offensive line Barkley has ever played behind and he's poised to post elite fantasy production as a runner and receiver.
QB Jalen Hurts, PHI - Stud (low risk)
Despite throwing for a career-high 3,858 yards and 23 touchdown strikes last season, Jalen Hurts saw a dip in efficiency and yards per attempt while tossing 15 interceptions. However, his 15 rushing scores boosted Hurts to an overall QB2 finish. With the 'tush push' remaining in play, Hurts offers a safe floor. But it remains to be seen how the arrival of RB Saquon Barkley will impact Nick Siriani's willingness to have his signal-caller continue to take so many high-impact carries. The Eagles boast a wealth of skill-position talent and had PFF's top-ranked O-line in 2023. But the retirement of C Jason Kelce could play an underrated impact, especially on the goal line. ADVICE: Top-three In every league
RB Saquon Barkley, PHI - Stud (low risk)
Barkley's RB9 finish in points per game was quite impressive when you consider it came from a Giants' offense that ranked 30th in both total yards and run-blocking. Conversely, the Eagles boasted the league's No. 3 offensive line and ranked eighth in rushing. Barkley has the all-around skill set to thrive in Nick Siriani's offense. But the Eagles don't throw many passes to their backs and Jalen Hurts will usurp most of the short-yardage touchdown attempts. Still, Barkley is a massive upgrade over D'Andre Swift and if he sees anywhere near the same usage rate that he accumulated in New York, Barkley has top-5 potential. ADVICE: Three-Down feature back with top-5 upside
RB Kenneth Gainwell, PHI - Fantasy Handcuff
ADVICE: Gainwell logged a career-best 84 carries last season, but with Saquon Barkley now in the fold, will likely see a drop in opportunities. Gainwell should be viewed as a low-end handcuff with minimal weekly value.
RB Will Shipley, PHI - Dynasty Only
ADVICE: It would not be a surprise to see Shipley pass Kenneth Gainwell on the depth chart. Shipley stood out as a receiver and is an excellent fit in Kellen Moore's scheme. View Shipley as a good Saquon Barkley insurance policy in deeper leagues.
WR A.J. Brown, PHI - Stud (low risk)
A.J. Brown finished fifth in receiving yards (1,456) and fantasy points (293.6) but his late-season swoon correlated with Philadelphia's second-half collapse. Enter Kellen Moore, who has coordinated a top-13 passing offense in four of his five seasons as an offensive coordinator. A key component of Moore's offenses has been motion out of play-action. With Saquon Barkley, opponents will be forced to respect Philadelphia's running game more than ever. This presents a favorable situation for Brown, who has run 27% of his routes from the slot in the last three seasons. He's not in the top tier or wideouts but Brown is a safe WR1 with top-5 upside. ADVICE: Safe WR1 with high floor