Tag Archives: Philadelphia Eagles

Daily Fantasy Football Value Picks For Monday Night Football

One more game remains for daily fantasy football enthusiasts in week two, with the Chicago Bears hosting the Philadelphia Eagles on the biggest stage in Monday Night Football. There is a lot to take in for this one, as rookie passer and #2 overall pick Carson Wentz makes just his second start ever and numerous fantasy gamers look to hold onto their leads to close out the week.

There is even more DFS goodness at stake here when you consider the MNF/TNF slate, which includes Thursday’s contest between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots. That game is a suggested fade due to Jimmy Garoppolo (shoulder) being out, but the Texans could still be in play and there is a lot to like about tonight’s Eagles vs. Bears battle.

For all fantasy insight, let’s pick apart this slate by pointing out the best values at each position:

Quarterbacks: Jay Cutler – Bears ($5.7k) and Carson Wentz – Eagles ($5.5k)

Brock Osweiler could be OK in week three, but for the most part the Patriots defense has done a solid job against quarterbacks. He’s also the most expensive passer on the slate and he’s not exactly a guy you must pay up for.

We aren’t entertaining the idea of diving for Brissett, either, as he’s not a whole lot cheaper than more attractive options in Wentz and Cutler. That being said, he would be super contrarian on this slate.

You need the top quarterback on the slate to run away with the money here, however, and that’s probably going to be Cutler. Cutler is a very strong performer in prime time games, as he’s specifically 8-2 on Monday Night Football since joining the Bears. He’s also at home and has a solid cast of weapons around him. Philly also did not defend well in 2015 and their elite defensive effort in week one came against RG3 and the Browns. Color us unimpressed.

Wentz can run and looked good in week one, but Cutler might actually be a tad more contrarian. People have been hating on the Bears all summer, yet they actually showed up to fight in Houston in week one. The Bears are a mildly underrated stack on this slate and that’s the direction we’re headed.

Running Backs: Ryan Mathews – Eagles ($5.8k), Jeremy Langford – Bears ($4.6k) and LeGarrette Blount – Patriots ($4.4k)

Lamar Miller leads the way here, but he’s super talented and expensive, so just about everyone will be on him. It’s probably wise to just use two running backs out of this slate, so the key will be figuring out either who to pair with Miller or which two backs you’re choosing (and then fading Lamar). We don’t love the latter idea, however.

All three of these guys have awesome roles, but from a talent perspective, Mathews might be the most explosive. Considering Lamar Miller had a fine yardage day against the Bears in week one, he’ll probably be fine and should score. Langford isn’t very explosive, but the Eagles also can be run on and he is going to get a lot of touches. His price is also tough to beat, so it’s going to be difficult to fade him.

Blount has been solid and awesome the last two weeks and he remains a very nice price. The issue is he does not catch the ball and he probably needs a score to work out. He probably can do that because the Pats have to run and will use him near the goal-line, but his matchup and the obviousness of his role do not bode well.

Because of that, we suggest fading Blount and pairing Miller with one other back. Our pick would be Langford, as he’s cheaper than Mathews and has just as solid of a role.

Wide Receivers: Will Fuller – Texans ($4.8k), Danny Amendola – Patriots ($3.7k), Nelson Agholor – Eagles ($3.5k) and Eddie Royal – Bears ($3.5k)

No one needs to be told that the likes of Alshon Jeffery, DeAndre Hopkins, Jordan Matthews and Julian Edelman are the top plays. If you’re looking to differentiate or just need a cheap Flex play, however, this is the group you want to consider.

Fuller has been awesome through two weeks and it’s pretty arguable the Pats will be uber focused on stopping both Lamar Miller and Nuk. It’s very possible he crushes his value for the third week in a row.

Any Patriots receivers are in play just because they could be playing from behind and they’re all pretty cheap, just keep in mind Houston’s defense is quite strong and we have no idea what Jacoby Brissett brings to the table.

Agholor and Royal feel like the best value plays at wide receiver. Both scored in week one and have decent secondary roles. Their matchups also don’t look that tough on paper. The explosive Kevin White could also blow up under the bright lights, but he’s rather raw and may need to work a bit to gain Cutler’s trust.

Tight Ends: Martellus Bennett – Patriots ($4.7k), Zach Miller ($3k) and Brent Celek – Eagles ($2.6k)

Bennett’s value probably depends on the status of Rob Gronkowski ($6.8k), who hasn’t played yet in 2016. The Gronk still isn’t 100%, but if he suddenly is a full go he might deserve some consideration. Then again, with Jacoby Brissett under center for the Pats, neither of these guys look safe this week.

That means you’re saving at tight end tonight, with Miller and Celek as the leading candidates. Cutler loved going to Miller last year, so he certainly is in play, but keep in mind that Philly did blank Gary Barnidge in week one. Chicago, meanwhile, hasn’t been tested by a tight end yet this year and we know the Eagles love using the position. With Zach Ertz (ribs) out for at least week two, Celek should start and be far more active than usual. He’s certainly no lock to pay off, but at this price he’s the play.

Team Defenses: All in Play

None of the defenses are over $3.3k and you can make a strong argument for any of them. Philadelphia put up 11 fantasy points against the Browns in week one and everyone knows Jay Cutler can turn the ball over, the Texans are always solid and get a rookie quarterback, Chicago is at home against a rookie passer tonight and the Patriots are at home against a Texans offense that still hasn’t blown the hinges off.

They all have arguments, but Houston feels like the play. Chicago’s defense just isn’t very talented, so they probably aren’t the way to go even though they’re the cheapest unit, while New England and Philly are both about as expensive as Houston. Whitney Mercilus has been an absolute monster and we know what J.J. Watt can do. If Houston can simply stuff LeGarrette Blount early on, they should rack up some sacks and maybe even a turnover or two, along with allowing 20 points or fewer.

Are Eagles Playoff Contenders After Trading For Dorial Green-Beckham?

The Philadelphia Eagles made a splash move to improve their passing game on Tuesday morning, pulling the trigger on a trade for Tennessee Titans wide receiver, Dorial Green-Beckham.

DGB to Philly

Dorial Green-Beckham had reportedly been falling out of favor with the Titans due to inconsistent practice performances and reports about a shoddy work ethic, but the Eagles made a play for an elite talent that was available for the right price. That price wasn’t at all steep for the Eagles, who shipped versatile offensive lineman Danny Kelly to the Titans to land DGB.

Questionable Decision

The trade made waves in the NFL ream on Tuesday, as it appeared like a knee-jerk reaction by the Titans due to DGB’s inability to separate himself from a vanilla receiving corps. There was no denying Green-Beckham’s sketchy past or his up and down rookie season last year.

However, DGB is a top shelf talent that at 23 years old, hasn’t even begun to tap into his full potential. That looks something like this:

Whether it was due to a lack of motivation or his surroundings, Green-Beckham arguably needed a fresh start, and it looks as though he’ll get that in Philly.

On paper, Green-Beckham brings terrific size and play-making ability to the table. If he comes in focused and develops a rapport with starting quarterback Sam Bradford, he might even have a chance to blossom into the special talent people having been raving about over the last few years.

Eagles’ Playoff Hopes

The move likely forces the under-performing Rueben Randle out of town and also likely pushed Nelson Agholor to the slot. Should DGB be the guy the Eagles hope they’re getting, there is a very real possibility Philadelphia is getting a very dangerous down field threat that can make plays over the middle of the field, down the sideline and especially in the red-zone.

Coming out of college, Green-Beckham was compared to Dez Bryant. If he can get himself into top shape and be dialed in for the start of the season, the Eagles could have landed themselves a massive steal.

Of course, that still may not change much in the way of winning games. The Eagles still looked like a floundering unit last year and if new head coach Doug Pederson has his wish, his team will probably run more than they pass.

Still, this has to give the Eagles a boost as a bet in the NFC East, where their odds are currently at the bottom of the division (+400). And forget about their Super Bowl odds (+6600), as the Eagles still have a lot of questions to answer elsewhere. Their defense still has a lot to prove, while stud offensive lineman Lane Johnson is also slated to miss the first 10 games of the year due to a performance enhancing drug suspension.

While the odds are still against the Eagles to win their division or make a random run at the Super Bowl, this big trade at least puts them back on the playoff radar. With those poor division odds at Bovada, they’re slowly looking like an interesting bet coming out of the NFC East. It also could be a good idea to temper our expectations, as DGB needs to lock down a big role and actually make a week-to-week impact first.