The Fantasy Football Matchups Breakdown delivers the stats and storylines you need to dominate the week in fantasy football. Matt Savoca breaks down all the angles on every team and every game, including the Eagles’ quest to retain their NFC East crown. After an injury bounced Carson Wentz from last year’s playoff game, can Week 1 be the beginning of his 2020 revenge tour? For the 2020 NFL season, Matt Savoca will be providing his weekly NFL Fantasy Football Matchups Breakdown column, going through every single game and offensive and defensive matchup every week of the season. For your viewing convenience, we have broken up the matchups breakdown into several single columns, each one covering a single game. You can find links to every game right here. We have 16 games on tap for Week 1 NFL DFS and NFL Fantasy Football, so let’s dive in. The entire matchups article will be available in podcast form every Friday afternoon on the Awesemo Podcast Network. Lets get into Eagles – Washington.
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Eagles (24.5) at Washington (18.5) – Sunday 9/13/2020, 1:00 p.m.
Philadelphia Eagles Fantasy Football and NFL DFS Breakdown
The NFC East champion Eagles come into Week 1 with plenty of injured players and the Cowboys breathing down their neck as they begin their quest for a repeat division title. Despite being banged up, Philadelphia, one of the league’s deepest rosters, remains quite formidable at nearly every position, even as they’re forced to begin the season at far less than 100% at key roster spots. The offensive line injuries will be the toughest to overcome. Two starters are already lost for the year in Andre Dillard (torn biceps) and Brandon Brooks (Achilles tear), leading to the team’s re-signing of 38-year-old lineman Jason Peters. Head coach Doug Pederson announced Monday that Peters will be starting at left tackle, leaving the hole at guard to be filled by one of Matt Pryor, fourth-round rookie Jack Driscoll or Jordan Mailata, a third-year player yet to play in an NFL game.
The battery is also banged up in Philadelphia. Carson Wentz is once again practicing in full after a low-grade soft tissue injury, and Miles Sanders, whom Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley talked-up big-time this offseason, has been placed in bubble-wrap since Aug. 19 after a leg injury sidelined him. The Eagles have stated all along that both Sanders and Wentz would be ready to go for week 1. The true litmus test, of course, comes Sunday. Regardless of whether Sanders is fully healthy, expect surprise 2019 contributor Boston Scott, a former undrafted free agent who averaged 87.5 total yards per game over the final four weeks of the 2019 regular season, to have a role carved out for him by Pederson this season. Former Eagles contributor Corey Clement returns to round out the backfield, but he should lag well behind the other two in terms of usage. Zach Ertz is expected to remain the lifeline of the passing game, as he led the tight end position in targets per game a year ago.
While continuing to rely on Ertz underneath, Wentz should be thrilled to get DeSean Jackson back after an injury-plagued 2019. In week 1 against Washington a year ago, his only healthy game, Jackson torched Washington for eight catches, 154 yards and two touchdowns. As long as Jackson’s on the field, expect at least four deep shots to Philadelphia’s big-play threat. First round pick Jalen Reagor, bothered by a labrum injury, is out this week, as is Alshon Jeffery. So the Eagles will round out their passing attack with 2019 second-round pick J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and slot specialist Greg Ward, who quietly drew seven or more targets in four of Philadelphia’s final six games. (Update: It looks like Reagor has improved enough to play this Sunday, while Miles Sanders will be inactive for Week 1. This puts Scott in line for a substantial workload out of the backfield, and likely sky-high ownership on the main slate. It’s also very possible that the Sanders injury nudges the Eagles toward a more pass-happy approach.)
Washington Fantasy Football and NFL DFS Breakdown
Washington comes into the season looking to build upon Dwayne Haskins’ up-and-down rookie campaign. Though he’s the entrenched starter, it’s still anybody’s guess if Haskins is a franchise-caliber quarterback. The uncertainty around Haskins’ projection trickles down to nearly every skill player on the Washington offense. Terry McLaurin exploded onto the scene with a spectacular Week 1 last season en route to one of the most exciting rookie campaigns in recent years. But the elephant in the room remains, can Haskins get him the ball? Once Haskins took over as the starter week 9, McLaurin only saw seven or more targets just three times, with only one game inside the PPR top 24 at the position: Five catches for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles in Philadelphia in Week 15.
It’s hard to see anyone but McLaurin emerging as a fantasy-viable option from this passing offense, but two names to keep an eye on are Steven Sims, who saw seven, 11, 10 and eight targets in the final four games of Washington’s 2019 season, and presumptive starting tight end Logan Thomas. The Eagles’ additions of Pro-Bowl cornerback Darius Slay as well as Nickell Robey-Coleman should sure up the Eagles’ secondary and put the Washington passing game at an even further disadvantage than expected. While predicting turnovers is a fool’s errand, no one should be surprised if Haskins throws two-plus picks on Sunday.
The Washington backfield has as many questions as their passing game. With Derrius Guice bounced from the league and Adrian Peterson a surprise cut-day casualty, expect contributions in the 10-15 touch range (including plenty of pass routes) for Antonio Gibson, the team’s third-round pick. Gibson averaged an astonishing one touchdown per every six touches while playing a hybrid running back/receiver role at Memphis a year ago. 2017 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year Bryce Love appears ready to make his NFL debut after two-straight injury-riddled years. Former Tampa Bay back Peyton Barber and receiving back J.D. McKissic will also get run in a muddied backfield with limited upside beyond Gibson’s presumed home run ability.
Prediction: Eagles 27, Washington 14
Alternative Scenario: Eagles are healthier and more explosive than we expect, putting their foot on the gas and never looking back. Eagles 42, Washington 14.
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Youre wrong about Jalen Reagor