After examining the fantasy outlooks for the team’s quarterbacks and running backs on Monday and its wide receivers and tight ends yesterday, today we wrap up our look at the fantasy possibilities for Eagles players with a look at the kicker and the defense and special teams.
While these two positions are much less sexy than their counterparts at the skill positions, they are going to get a roster spot on your fantasy team and at some point will win or lose you a few matchups. Without further ado, let’s look at Jake Elliott and the Eagles’ defense/special teams unit.
Kicker
Jake Elliott (ADP 178, K 6)
Let’s be real, fantasy kickers are kind of stupid and totally annoying. For every matchup they win you with a 15-point effort, there’s several instances where a missed extra point or chip shot field goal costs you a win.
And that epitomizes Jake Elliot, at least in 2017. He seemed allergic to kicks inside of 40 yards, missing three extra points and going 4-7 on field goals from 30-39 yards. However, he would routinely drill kicks from 50+, hitting 5-6 from that range including the 61-yard game-winner against the Giants. If your league has severe penalties for missed kicks, you may want to look for more consistency. But if the penalties are modest, Elliott’s big leg can offset the inconsistency.
So, unless you’re in a utopian league that has outlawed kickers and you have to take one, Jake Elliott is as good as any.
The Eagles have the 12theasiest schedule for kickers.
Defense/Special Teams (ADP 137, D/ST 4)
The Eagles defense is getting a lot of love as the fourth defense off the board behind just the Jags, Rams, and Vikings. It’s understandable considering the Birds forced nearly two turnovers per game in 2017 while scoring six defensive touchdowns and finishing fourth in points against per game with 18.4.
The Eagles return the core of that unit while getting Jordan Hicks back from injury and adding players like Michael Bennett and Haloti Ngata and expecting to be able to unleash Sidney Jones in the secondary. The Eagles should once again have a very stingy defense.
However, fantasy defense can be fickle and incredibly matchup dependent. Frankly, there’s no reason to pick a defense until one of your last two picks. Undoubtedly there will be people in every league who will be “that guy” and the Eagles will likely be one of the units “that guy” will be picking.
That wraps up our look at the Eagles’ fantasy prospects. We hope you’ve found it helpful and be sure to let us know if you’re interested in more fantasy coverage throughout the season. Good luck in your drafts and enjoy the season!
