Analysis

7/24/23

5 min read

Philadelphia Eagles 2023 Fantasy Football Team Preview

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As we inch closer to opening day of the NFL season, we want to prepare you for your fantasy football drafts. That process begins with our team previews, where we’ll break down each team’s offense while providing players we’re targeting and, in some cases, avoiding.

>> READ: Eagles Team Preview from Marty Mornhinweg

Eagles Fantasy Football Team Preview

Head Coach: Nick Sirianni (third season as Eagles HC)

Offensive Coordinator: Brian Johnson (first season as Eagles OC)

Key Offensive Additions

Key Offensive Departures

Key Offensive Rookies

Points Per Game: 28.1 (third)

Passing Yards: 241.5 (ninth)

Rushing Yards: 147.6 (fifth)

Vacated Targets: 46 (30th)

Pass: 55 percent Run: 45 percent

Pace: Fourth

OL Rank: Third

Quarterbacks

Jalen Hurts was second among quarterbacks in fantasy points per game last season with 25.6, falling just short of Josh Allen’s 25.7 mark. Hurts was a rock-solid 11th in passing yards per game, but his rushing production makes him a difference in fantasy. Hurts was third among quarterbacks in rushing yards per game while finishing second in the league with 13 rushing touchdowns, despite missing two games.

Hurts will have a new offensive coordinator this season, a tougher schedule and a few new starters around him. Philadelphia may scale back Hurts' league-leading designed runs in an effort to keep its franchise centerpiece healthy. But at the end of the day, Hurts is a dual-threat quarterback with one of the best-supporting casts in the league. The more difficult schedule may even result in more neutral or negative game scripts for Philadelphia, which could increase its overall passing game volume. Hurts is a top-three quarterback option in fantasy, with a very real case of being the overall QB1.

Running Backs

The Philadelphia Eagles scored 32 rushing touchdowns last season, 33 percent more than any other NFL team. Despite this being an explosive, effective running attack behind a great offensive line, all the running back ADPs are palatable. Swift projects as the top fantasy option, where some version of his 2021 Lions role should be in effect — 11.6 carries and 4.8 receptions per game.

The receptions almost certainly are suppressed in Philadelphia, but he should still see 12-15 touches per game, at least, with a nice chunk of that coming through the air. Swift is probably a fantasy RB2, but there’s potential for an elite ceiling because Sanders was the RB21 per game last year despite just 15 carries per game and nearly zero passing work. 

Penny has always struggled to stay healthy but should get 10-15 carries per game whenever active. He will be a touchdown-dependent fantasy option who should be highly efficient as a runner. Fourteen carries for 75 yards (sometimes with a touchdown) is a good proxy for expectations, and he’s never reached 10 receptions in a season before. Penny is an RB3 type for fantasy. 

Kenneth Gainwell looks like Swift’s backup, and Trey Sermon should be Penny’s backup. Boston Scott should be avoided in fantasy football entirely.

Wide Receivers, Tight Ends

The Eagles didn’t need to add much to their wide receiver and tight end rooms; their only addition was Zaccheaus. This move was a replacement for Pascal, who was fourth among Eagles wide receivers in snaps (434) in 2022. Structurally this offense is built to perfection. They have one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, and when you have to focus on their run game, they beat you down the field. They have three players who can win at all three levels, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. These three are the only pass catchers you must have on your radar for fantasy purposes. 

At their current ADP, we recommend prioritizing Brown over Smith due to Brown's explosive upside as a mid to low-end WR1, capable of delivering multiple winning weeks. While Smith is a solid option as an upper-end WR2, having an entire season of Goedert, the last of the tier 2 TEs, might limit Smith's high-reception games. Ultimately, Brown's upside makes him the preferred choice for a more impactful fantasy performance.

Dynasty Sell

Miller: Smith (WR9) 

Smith is really good. He and Brown are the only teammates in the 2020s to post a 25 percent target share or greater. But Smith’s true ceiling is likely capped due to the Eagles' lower volume passing offense. It’s not a pivot off Smith because he’s not a WR1 peripheral producer. It’s a pivot off Smith because there are tons of massive producers around his current value. 

Eagles We’re Targeting in Fantasy Football

Larky: Hurts, Swift

Reynolds: Swift, Penny

Vanek: Brown

Other Fantasy Previews

NFC East: DAL | NYG | WAS

NFC North: GB | CHI | MIN | DET

NFC South: NO | ATL | CAR | TB

NFC West: SF | LAR | SEA | ARI

AFC East: BUF | NE | MIA | NYJ

AFC North: CIN | CLE | BAL | PIT 

AFC South: HOU | IND | JAX | TEN

AFC West: KC | LAC | LV | DEN

Follow our Team on Twitter

Josh Larky: @JLarkyTweets

Ryan Reynolds: @RyanReynoldsNFL

Jordan Vanek: @JordanVanekDFS

Ian Miller: @Dynasty_IM

Our data is provided by Sports Info Solutions, and our vacated targets figure is provided by Tru Media.  

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Tags: A.J. Brown, Boston Scott, D'Andre Swift See More

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan graduated with distinction from the University of Minnesota as an accounting major, but some of the most valuable business and investment lessons he has ever learned came from spending weekends learning the sports collectibles business from his father. At a young age, Ryan would voluntarily spend hours sifting through minor league baseball statistics, using his father’s analytics-based system to identify potential targets. Even then, the hitter’s swing or the pitcher’s “stuff” mattered more to Ryan than the perspective granted through just data.

Jordan Vanek

Jordan has been playing DFS since 2016 and started writing content at the end of 2020. While playing DFS, he has managed multiple top 10 finishes in NFL, college football, baseball, basketball and NASCAR.

Ian Miller

Ian Miller attended Washington State University, where most of the time he was building fantasy football models when he should’ve been paying attention to lectures. That’s where he first started building his process that he continue to grow today. It’s a process that gives probability of success and range of outcomes for recruits all the way to ten year NFL veterans. It’s something Ian not only shares with the readers, but also uses in his personal fantasy leagues.

Josh Larky

Josh Larky is the Director of Fantasy and Gambling at The 33rd Team.  He joins us with a unique blend of educational and professional experience.

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