As we crest the midway point of the fantasy and 2021 NFL season, weekly matchups carry more and more weight as playoff-caliber teams begin to separate themselves from the pack. Fantasy football managers looking to fill flex spots in Week 9 could turn towards one of the Philadelphia Eagles running backs in Boston Scott or Jordan Howard. But is either RB worth trusting in Week 9 given the committee approach, or should Scott and/or Howard be left on the bench this week?
With Miles Sanders out, the Eagles’ backfield has become a nightmare for fantasy
It’s one thing for a team to use two running backs. That’s nothing new. Usually, the two backs have defined roles, and each contributes in a different way. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said, “forget that nonsense” — in the process, Philadelphia’s backfield has become a nightmare to figure out.
Let’s use Week 8 against the Detroit Lions as an example. Of the Eagles’ 37 RB carries, 12 went to Scott (60 yards), 12 went to Howard (57 yards). Both Scott and Howard traded touchdown scores as well, with both players finding the end zone twice.
You might be wondering how Kenneth Gainwell factors into all of this or think I’ve forgotten about him. Well, Siranni certainly did. Gainwell saw just 6 snaps in the first three quarters due to the game being out of reach and the Eagles salting the clock, ending with the team-leading 13 rushes but only 27 yards.
Scott led the backfield with 44% of the snaps, followed by Gainwell with 32% and Howard with 24%. Somehow, Gainwell went from being the No. 2 option — and at one point, Philadelphia’s leading RB fantasy score — to being leapfrogged by Howard and Scott in no time at all.
Jordan Howard and Boston Scott have been fantasy relevant in their careers
Fantasy-relevant — what an adjective. We’re not saying that a player was transcendent or irreplaceable, just relevant. For as blunt as that may be, it’s accurate.
In fairness, Howard was more than relevant early in his career — it’s just been quite some time since we saw those glory days. In his three seasons with the Chicago Bears (2016-2018), Howard averaged 260 carries, 1,123 rushing yards, and 8 rushing TDs while adding 24 receptions and 190 yards a season as a receiver. But that was a while ago. In fact, the Eagles had to call Howard up from the practice squad. He was not even on the 53-man roster.
As for Scott, his career has not seen a crescendo near the level Howard reached. But in games where he’s come in for an oft-banged-up Miles Sanders, Scott has been viable for fantasy managers. But the games where Scott saw decent usage were few and far between. In outings where Scott has seen 10 or more opportunities (seven of 37 active games), he has averaged 13.1 carries for 55.6 yards and 0.86 TDs on the ground with 2.7 receptions (3.9 targets) for 34.4 yards and 0.1 TDs. So about 15 touches, roughly 90 total yards, and a score.
I would take that performance any day from a flex option. In an interesting comparison, Sanders’ career average is 11.6 carries for 56.7 yards and 0.3 TDs on the ground with 2.8 receptions (4.0 targets) for 23.5 yards and 0.1 TDs.
Don’t forget about Jalen Hurts when looking at this backfield
We have gone through all of this and not even mentioned the fourth and more important rusher in this backfield, Jalen Hurts. He is the No. 2 QB in rush attempts (73) and yards (432) and sits tied for first place in TDs with Sam Darnold (5). Hurts has carried the ball 7 or more times in every game with double-digits in three outings.
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Philadelphia’s offense averages just 26.2 attempts per game (16th in the NFL), so that’s a hefty percentage. And in a game where the Eagles are likely to fall behind, how long will they stay committed to the run?
Both Howard and Scott are difficult to trust in Week 9
If I were to take a shot on anyone in this Eagles backfield, I would plug Scott in my flex as a mid-to-high RB3. The Chargers are No. 28 in points allowed to RBs (27.49) per game, but that’s more to do with teams opting not to challenge their passing defense rather than having any glaring holes in run defense.
Howard lacks upside. Sure, 44 of his 57 yards came after contact, but he needs to score a touchdown to return value in fantasy. Last week, the Eagles ran an uncharacteristically high 46 times. Go back to their typical 26 attempts per game, and how many touches are we realistically looking at for Howard given a 30-40% snap share?
Add in the possibility of Gainwell being the focus in Week 9, and this is just a convoluted backfield that, ideally, I would look to avoid. I know that is not always an option in fantasy, but this seems to be more of a headache than it is worth.