NFL Matchups: Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins Fantasy Football Preview

This a snippet of Adam Pfeifer’s NFL matchups column, previewing Eagles vs. the Redskins for Fantasy Football Lineups. With just a few weeks left in the season, we have to begin assessing not only injuries and matchups, but also potential resting of stars for the long haul. All of it has a tremendous effect on our NFL DFS and season-long fantasy lineups. So let’s dig into some NFL DFS matchups and NFL game breakdowns for your Week 15 Fantasy Football Lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo and FantasyDraft.

To read the FULL column, click HERE.


Also be sure to check out today’s NFL Strategy Show with Dave Loughran and Sal Vetri!


Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins

Total: 40

Line: PHI -4.5

Eagles passing game

He got off to a very slow start last Monday night but Carson Wentz ended up with a strong fantasy day, throwing for 325 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Despite the good game and decent matchup on the horizon, there is more to dislike than like regarding Wentz. For starters, he only had three healthy wide receivers last week, while his top wideout has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Secondly, the Eagles watched Lane Johnson leave the field last week on a cart after hurting his ankle and he is being considered week-to-week. His absence would make a big difference, as according to The QuantEdge, the Eagles sack rate is at 5.7 percent with Johnson active compared to 9.9 percent with him out of the lineup.

Wentz had already taken a step back this season when his team was healthy and now he could be entering this game without his top three receivers. He’s averaging just 0.38 fantasy points per dropback on the year, 22nd among all signal-callers, while the Redskins have gotten better against the pass each week. Wentz is looking like a low-ceiling NFL DFS play this weekend.

After losing Alshon Jeffery to a foot injury on Monday night, the Eagles had three healthy wideouts with Nelson Agholor already ruled out. Jeffery has been ruled out for the rest of the season and with DeSean Jackson already out, Philadelphia is really hurting at the receiver position. If Agholor can return this week, he would be the clear top receiver and we’ve seen him be NFL DFS relevant when Jeffery and Jackson have been out this season.

Not a member of Awesemo.com? Enjoy 50% off any weekly or monthly Awesemo+ package with promo code MATCHUPS.

Rookie J.J. Arcega-Whiteside led the way with 80 snaps last week, catching just two balls for 29 yards. Greg Ward played 87 percent of the snaps and looked like the far better receiver, catching four of nine targets for 34 yards. He also had a touchdown called back due to penalty. At minimum salary on DraftKings, Ward is in play as a punt regardless of Agholor’s status, while the latter would be a WR3 in PPR formats if he suits up.

Of course, this Philadelphia offense will continue to go through the tight end position. Zach Ertz caught nine of 13 targets for 91 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime. He’s seen double-digit targets in four of the last five games, while his 24.4 percent target share is the second-highest among all tight ends this season. Look for him to continue providing you with a very high floor and potentially more upside than normal with the Eagles so depleted at receiver. The Redskins, meanwhile, are allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends on the year (10.6), and Ertz has a strong track record against his division foe.

Finally, Dallas Goedert didn’t have a huge game last week but he’ll have every opportunity to going forward. He lined up in the slot 15 times on Monday night, his third-most on the year. The two times where he lined up inside more this season (22 and 21) came in Weeks 11 and 12, where Jeffery didn’t play. The Eagles will likely continue to use him more as a wide receiver than a tight end given their injuries, presenting him with top-10 upside.

Eagles running game

Miles Sanders started at running back again last week with Jordan Howard (shoulder) missing his fourth straight game. Sanders touched the ball 19 times and played 56 percent of the snaps, despite leaving the game with cramps. Over the last four weeks, Sanders is averaging a healthy 17.3 touches per game. Howard could return this week but we also have Boston Scott vying for more playing time. He provided the Eagles offense with a much-needed spark last week, touching the ball 16 times for 128 yards and a touchdown. The Redskins are coughing up the sixth-most rushing yards per game on the year (134.8), making this a good matchup for whoever the starting runner is. If Howard is cleared for contact and returns, Sanders would go from a mid-range RB2 to a PPR flex.

Redskins passing game

Dwayne Haskins played through a foot injury on Sunday but finished the game. It is being called a very mild ankle sprain, though it doesn’t appear as if he is in jeopardy of missing this game. Still, you aren’t counting on him in the second round of the fantasy playoffs, regardless of how vulnerable this Philadelphia secondary is.

It was nice to see Terry McLaurin get back into the end zone last week, his first touchdown since Week 6 in Miami. He made an incredible one-handed catch and has now recorded at least 57 receiving yards in three of his last four games. No receiver in the NFL has a higher percentage of their team’s air yards than McLaurin (43 percent) and now he gets one of the best matchups in all of NFL DFS.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @Stokastic_Com.

The Eagles just allowed over 150 yards and two touchdowns to Darius Slayton, both of which came against Ronald Darby. McLaurin is going to line up against Darby, who is allowing a gaudy 0.65 fantasy points per coverage snap, as well as 2.32 fantasy points per target. He’s also allowed seven touchdowns in coverage on the year to go along with 15.1 yards per catch. Philadelphia is allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts on the year, making McLaurin a strong WR3 this week.

Redskins running game

Unfortunately, Derrius Guice suffered yet another injury last week, going down with a sprained MCL. It isn’t too serious of an injury but in a lost season, the Redskins felt no reason to risk it and placed him on injured reserve. This backfield goes back to Adrian Peterson, who carried the ball 20 times for 76 yards and a touchdown last week. While there is nothing exciting about him or this Redskins offense, it is hard to find a possible 20-carry back this time of the year.

His Week 15 matchup against the Eagles is brutal but Washington is calling run 46.5 percent of the time over the last three weeks, the fifth-highest rate in the NFL during that span. And in this run-first, archaic offense, Peterson is going to get the ball, as he’s touching the ball on 56.7 percent of his snaps this season, the third-highest rate among all running backs with at least 30 touches. He’s a volume-dependent option for those who are hurting at running back.

Click HERE to go back to the matchups column.

Author

Stokastic +

Premium Data and Tools
PREMIUM TOOLS
Lineup Generator
Stokastic Sims MLB
PREMIUM DATA
Projections
Top Stack %s
MLB Data Central
FREE DATA
SoRare MLB Rankings
DraftKings Night Owl
FANTASY CRUNCHER (ADD-ON)
MLB Lineup Study
COMMUNITY
MLB Discord Server
PREMIUM DATA
Projections
Ownership Projections
PREMIUM TOOLS
Fantasy Cruncher (ADD-ON)
NHL Lineup Study
COMMUNITY
NHL Discord Server
PREMIUM TOOLS
Lineup Generator
Stokastic Sims PGA
PREMIUM DATA
Ownership Projections
Top Golfers Tool
PGA Tournament Models
FANTASY CRUNCHER (ADD-ON)
PGA Lineup Study
COMMUNITY
PGA Discord Server
Ownership Projections
Top Drivers Tool
NASCAR Discord Server
NASCAR Fantasy Cruncher
USFL Projections
USFL Discord Server
Ownership Projections
Top Fighters Tool
MMA Discord Server
MMA Fantasy Cruncher
NFL Betting Tools
Stokastic Discord Server
Best Ball
Best Ball Rankings
Best Ball Stat Projections
Stokastic Discord Server
Season Long Fantasy (Coming Soon)

DFS Winners from the Stokastic Community

Subscribe to the Stokastic newsletter

DFS advice, exciting promos, and the best bets straight to your inbox

Stokastic.com - Daily Fantasy Sports and Sports Betting Data, Tools, & Analytics

Please play responsibly. Only customers 21 and over are permitted to play. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.