Philadelphia Eagles Daily Fantasy Team Preview

Vegas Projected Win Total – 9.5

The Eagles are coming off of a second consecutive 10-win season, yet they fell just short of the playoffs in 2014. Key contributor LeSean McCoy was shipped to the Bills for LB Kiko Alonso, but quickly replaced McCoy with DeMarco Murray. They also shipped Nick Foles to St. Louis for Sam Bradford, re-signed Mark Sanchez and inked free agent Tim Tebow to a contract. This team has a plethora of weapons on the offensive end, including drafting standout WR Nelson Agholor out of USC to add to a WR corp to replace recently departed Jeremy Maclin Jordan Matthews emerged as a solid target for QB Mark Sanchez last season, and is poised to have a solid 2015 campaign.

Impact Fantasy Players

DeMarco Murray – Murray comes over from division rival Dallas and will step right into the hole left by LeSean McCoy's departure. Murray is coming off of an unbelievable season in 2014, where he rushed for 1,845 yards and 13 TD in his first full season since entering the league in 2011. He also managed 57 catches for another 416 yards, leaving him with a grand total of 2,261 yards from scrimmage.

Some pundits have voiced concern about Murray's departure from Dallas, due to their dominance on the offensive line, but Pro Football Focus (PFF) actually ranked the Eagles' offensive line #1 in run blocking, barely edging out the Cowboys for the top spot. He was the workhorse for Dallas last season, with 449 total touches, and should be able to find some spells of rest this season with Darren Sproles and Ryan Mathews backing him up.

Football Outsiders (FO) ranked Murray as the top running back in 2014, with 382 DYAR (defensive yards above replacement) and only he (13) and Marshawn Lynch (14) scored more than 10 rushing TD last season.

Jordan Matthews – Despite some inconsistencies, Matthews emerged late last season with 3 games of at least 105 yards receiving in the final 8 weeks of the season. He had 105 total targets on the season, and PFF ranked him as the 4^th best slot receiver, based on YPPR (yards per route run) at 1.87, trailing only Emmanuel Sanders, T.Y. Hilton, and Randall Cobb. He also received the 2^nd highest dose of targets out of the slot with 94, behind only Cobb (106).

Matthews will now be the #1 target for an offense that scored the 8^th-most points per game in 2014 with 24.8. The Eagles ranked 9^th in passing yards in 2014, and will now feature the most unique offense in the NFL with versatile players such as Darren Sproles and Tim Tebow in the fold. Look for Matthews to have a big season now that he is out of the shadow of Jeremy Maclin.

Impact Fantasy Rookies

Nelson Agholor – Coming off of an impressive final season at USC, where he compiled 104 catches for 1,313 yards and 12 TD, Agholor is expected to step right in as an integral part of the Eagles offense. He has impressed early and is expected to be the instant replacement for Jeremy Maclin on the outside, while Jordan Matthews continues to man the slot. There will be no shortage of touches for him this season, after the Eagles ran the most offensive plays in the NFL last season under Chip Kelly by a fairly wide margin.

Storylines

Players like Sam Bradford will be relied upon to make good decisions in 2015 and help lead this Eagles squad back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Backup QB Mark Sanchez had some success last season, and could challenge for the starting gig if Bradford struggles. The team's depth at running back is second to none, with DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles, and they should have no issues with staying fresh despite playing at a very up-tempo pace.

The Eagles defense had an impressive 28 takeaways last season, which was 6^th in the NFL, but those takeaways were mitigated by their league-leading 36 turnovers. This team will need to improve in that area in a significant way if they are going to compete not only in the NFC East, but in the playoff picture overall.

Stock Watch

Up – Jordan Matthews

A WR who received 105 targets in 2014, Matthews was a relative unknown in the DFS community until late in the season. However, with a rookie WR (Agholor) stepping in to replace the recently departed Jeremy Maclin, he may be relied upon even more in the early going. He excelled in the slot last season, and should be an integral part of this potent Eagles attack in 2015.

Down – Mark Sanchez

Despite having some success after Nick Foles went down to a collarbone injury last season, Sanchez is expected to back up recently acquired Sam Bradford. His DFS and overall fantasy value will be all but gone unless Bradford succumbs to an injury or Sanchez wins the starting gig. He is better left off of your rosters until if or when that time comes.

Projections

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Daily Fantasy Outlook

Murray will once again be viewed as one of the top options at RB each week in DFS, and rightfully so. He may see a few less touches each game due to the Eagles' depth at the position, but that likely won't hurt his fantasy value. He will still be the goal line back, and the only numbers that will likely drop will be his number of receptions with pass-catcher Darren Sproles behind him. Sam Bradford is expected to be the starter, which will instantly make him an intriguing option in most DFS formats.

Wide receivers Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agoholor will be players that you need to monitor as the season approaches, because this is still a potent passing attack that bested 4,000 yards through the air last season. There may be some deep value to be found with players like Miles Austin and Riley Cooper as well.