Although OTAs just began this week, it’s always fun to take a look at the roster to see who might be that surprise star in fantasy football this season.
Dallas Goedert, Tight End
Godert had a nice rookie season, catching 33 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns. Look for Goedert’s role to increase this season as he will be more acclimated to the Philadelphia offensive attack. Goedert’s numbers will undoubtedly rise with the return of a healthy Carson Wentz. While most leagues will be snapping up the top-tier tight ends early, Goedert will be there in the later rounds as a value pick and will post comparable numbers to most starters in the league, even as the number two tight end. Goedert finished 20th in fantasy points last season.
Prediction: Goedert becomes a huge red zone target, scoring double his touchdown total from last season, upping it to eight.
Jordan Howard, Running Back
This may not be much of a surprise to many, but Howard’s fantasy numbers will be positively affected by his move to Philadelphia. Last season Howard split time with Tarik Cohen, with Cohen slowly becoming more and more of the focus of the offense. Howard finished with 935 yards on 250 carries, a 3.7 average. He also scored nine touchdowns. Howard finished 18th overall in fantasy points for running backs. Although the Eagles play multiple backs in a rotation, Howard’s fantasy numbers will improve due to the fact that the Eagles offense will be a juggernaut this season if everyone remains healthy. Because of the platoon system, Howard will be available in later rounds, making him a quality pick, especially in auction draft leagues where every dollar counts.
Prediction: Howard becomes the first Eagles running back to rush for over 1,000 yards since LeSean McCoy did in 2014.
Alshon Jeffery, Wide Receiver
Eagles fans spent the offseason trying to forget the last pass that was thrown to Alshon Jeffery. Still, Alshon is the number one wideout for the Eagles and looks to put up much-improved fantasy numbers this season. Jeffery finished 26th in fantasy points for receivers last season. This was due, in part, to the lack of a speedy deep threat to take the top of the defense. The Eagles addressed that in the offseason by bringing back veteran WR DeSean Jackson. With Jackson stretching the defense, Jeffery’s fantasy numbers will greatly improve, especially in PPR leagues. Jeffery’s lack of big fantasy numbers in 2018 will relegate him to being picked up in later rounds.
Prediction: Jeffery catches over 80 passes and scores ten touchdowns.
In review, all of the above success will be dependent on the health of Carson Wentz. If Wentz returns to his 2017 form, fantasy owners who took a chance on Eagles’ players will be very pleased.
