The Philadelphia Eagles will face the Washington Commanders in Week 16. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Eagles skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 16 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Jalen Hurts, QB
The Eagles opened last season with a 10-1 run, in which they averaged 2.53 points per drive and scored a touchdown on 29.4% of drives. During their current 10-game win streak, they are putting 2.60 points on the board per drive (31.2% TD rate).
In short, this team is in elite form — this time at the right time.
Jalen Hurts completed 22 of 26 passes from within the pocket last Sunday (84.6%, his best mark since going 18 of 20 against the Falcons in Week 2), a development that makes him close to unstoppable (13+ rushing scores in three straight seasons).
I’m not reading too much into Hurts’ underwhelming first game against the Commanders. That was a short rest spot where they ran the ball 40 times. I’m looking for another 25-30 passes and 8-12 rush attempts, a profile that nearly locks Hurts into top-10 production and gives him access to another top-five week at the office.
Saquon Barkley, RB
No one is complaining, but after consecutive games with both a 30+ yard rush and catch, Saquon Barkley doesn’t have a run gaining more than 25 yards or a catch picking up more than five in three straight.
Rumors were swirling last week that the MVP candidate was banged up, but Barkley refused to address the situation. There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of injury risk, but this is a player who hasn’t completed a full regular season since 2018, so make sure to keep tabs on this situation as this week progresses.
Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley are both worthwhile additions, with the threat of an injury at least on the radar, though the two would likely cannibalize one another should Barkley sit.
The star tailback piled up 198 scrimmage yards in the first meeting with Washington (the worst defense in the league in terms of yards allowed per contact), and as things stand right now, you’re locking him into your lineup — if we get an ownership discount, he makes for a very interesting pay up to be different RB in the DFS streets.
A.J. Brown, WR
A first-quarter touchdown?
A touchdown dance with Jalen Hurts?
After a week full of speculation, A.J. Brown seemed pretty happy with the passing game that he criticized (8-110-1 against the Steelers). He was clearly the focal point of this game plan (six targets on Hurts’ first 10 throws); while some of that might be a squeaky-wheel situation, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to feature a borderline unguardable physical specimen.
When all was said and done, the Eagles were ultra-impressive in their 27-13 win over the Steelers, and I don’t think it’s a mistake that they took down one of the league’s best defenses by funneling 74.2% of their targets to their two top receivers.
Saquon Barkley was banged up during this game, and that certainly changed the composition of this offense to a degree, but I saw enough to consider both receivers in Philly as viable options with Brown (32% target share in the Week 11 meeting with the Commanders) returning to WR1 status.
DeVonta Smith, WR
Good offenses produce; great ones adapt.
DeVonta Smith is coming off his best game of the season (11-109-1 against the Steelers), and while the production is nice, I find the consistent role change as interesting as anything,
- Week 9 vs. Jaguars: 16.0 aDOT
- Week 10 at Cowboys: 13.3 aDOT
- Week 11 vs. Commanders: 8.2 aDOT
- Week 14 vs. Panthers: 6.8 aDOT
- Week 15 vs. Steelers: 5.5 aDOT
Sometimes we see a player fill a very different role for a week here or a matchup there, but this certainly seems like a conscious decision made by this coaching staff. Smith wasn’t good the first time these teams met (30.9% production under expectation), but if you believe that this team is working to introduce this new route structure, there’s reason to be optimistic.
While Jayden Reed, Deebo Samuel Sr., and DK Metcalf are seeing production trending away from them, Smith’s trajectory is more promising; that is why I’d play him over all of those receivers.
Grant Calcaterra TE
The idea behind handcuffing a running back is that, at that position, the secondary option often picks up a similar role to the injured starter. That’s rarely the case among pass catchers, as the vacated usage is usually spread out among various players.
In Philadelphia, Dallas Goedert’s loss has been Grant Calcaterra’s direct gain. The third-year man out of SMU has cleared a 91% snap share in consecutive games. In a contest that has the potential to push 50 total points, there’s the potential for him to fall into low-end TE1 PPR value.
Do I like the fact that his 60 routes over the past two games have netted just 38 yards? Of course not, but there is a role available for a player who scored on 16.5% of his collegiate receptions and is facing the defense that allows touchdowns at the fifth-highest rate in the league (25.9%).
If the Brenton Stranges and Stone Smartts of the world aren’t available, Calcaterra has the potential to save your bacon this week in a pinch.