Imagine your reaction if a month ago, I had said to you that Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Travis Fulgham would be the hottest name on the waiver wire entering Week 6. After his Week 5 blowup game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Fulgham leads the Eagles in receiving yards, and fantasy football managers are left debating whether to go all-in on the unknown second-year player out of Old Dominion. Was this performance just a flash in the pan, or are we seeing the start of a future breakout wide receiver happening before our eyes?
The Eagles lack of passing options forced Travis Fulgham into the spotlight
Coming into the Week 5 game for the state’s bragging rights down three receivers, someone had to step up, and the former Old Dominion product put the team on his shoulders in a game that was much more competitive than initially expected.
Fulgham caught 10 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ 38-29 loss to the Steelers. His latest performance comes off the game-winning catch he had in Week 4, where he put up 59 yards on two receptions against the San Francisco 49ers. What he has done for the team has not been lost on QB Carson Wentz, who needs all the help he can get in the passing game.
“First of all, he’s a beast,” Carson Wentz said of his most popular target this week. “He showed up today, he showed up really last week, the two big plays he had. He’s not a fluke, he’s a baller… His number got called a lot more today because he was in the right position and he made some great plays.”
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“He had the hot hand today, but it’s kind of the way it was flowing today. He made some great plays, he’s a heck of a player, and we’re going to keep building on that.”
Receiving praise like that from your quarterback has to give confidence moving forward for Fulgham. It certainly does for fantasy managers looking for the next big target for a player to snag off their waiver wire. When a QB trusts a receiver, it can lead to big fantasy performances down the road.
There is a lot to be excited about with Fulgham. He is already the Eagles leader in receiving yards this season with 209 (Greg Ward has 172), despite not seeing a single snap in the first three weeks. Fulgham was added to the roster from the practice squad on the Saturday prior to Week 4 as injury cover and has taken full advantage of his opportunity.
When the Eagles start to get healthy, will Travis Fulgham return to the practice squad?
The biggest concern with Fulgham is what happens when Alshon Jeffrey and DeSean Jackson return. Not to mention their first-round pick Jalen Reagor, who is currently on Injured Reserve but will return later the season.
With Jackson, Jeffery, Reagor, and Dallas Goedert all out for the Eagles, Wentz needed to find someone reliable to pass to, and it certainly seems like Fulgham did enough to earn his quarterback’s trust.
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It also helps that the Eagles were getting blown out. At one point in the second half, Pittsburgh was up 31-14, forcing the Eagles to abandon any running plans. I think that Fulgham will be a thing to stay moving forward, mainly because head coach Doug Pederson seems to have bought into his skill set as well.
“I do think he has the skill and ability,” Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said. “It was great to see again today. It’s something we have to sustain each week. He had the big catch out in San Francisco and had some big catches today and it’s something we have to build on and get all our receivers in that position.”
The Eagles (1-3-1) are still somehow in the divisional race and need production from anyone they can at the moment. No one is hotter on the team than Fulgham, who should see at least five to six targets each week moving forward. When it comes to finding guys off the waiver wire in Week 6, Travis Fulgham is one of the options to spend your FAAB on as he should be more than a one-hit-wonder.
Should Travis Fulgham be the number one waiver wire claim in Week 6?
I don’t believe Travis Fulgham should be the number one waiver wire claim in Week 6, but he should be just below that spot. Steelers’ WR Chase Claypool is someone who I would rank higher due to being tied to the better quarterback and on the better offense.
I do, however, think that Fulgham needs to be picked off of waivers. Jackson and Jeffrey cannot stay healthy, and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside does not appear to be developing enough. Outside of Greg Ward, Fulgham could end up battling for weekly WR1 duties on this offense, given its lack of viable talent. Finding the combination of skill and opportunity that Fulgham has in Week 6 of the fantasy season is something that can not be overlooked.
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Tommy Garrett is a writer for PFN covering Fantasy Football. You can read more of his work here and follow him at @TommygarrettPFN on Twitter.