Each week, our staff here at QB List will be previewing all the fantasy-relevant things you should be on the lookout for in this week’s games. Today, we preview all the upcoming action in Week 2 of the Preseason.
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Eagles at Jaguars
Game Info
Kickoff: Thursday, August 15th, 2019, at 7:00 PM
Location: TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Betting Odds: Jax -3 via Oddsshark
Network: WJAX, WCAU
Philadelphia Eagles
Running Back Roulette
The Eagles Running Back situation will continue to be the focus for fantasy players in week two of the preseason. Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders continue to try and win the lead-back role. Howard seems to have the edge so far but a strong showing in the next couple of games could open up the competition some more. The Eagles have Darren Sproles and Corey Clement who will be complementary pieces in the offense. They also have Wendall Smallwood and Josh Adams fighting for roster spots, who both led the team in carries last season. Let’s pay attention to who gets run with the first-team offense as they will probably play the first quarter and maybe a bit more.
So Much Depth
It will be interesting to see which Eagles get snaps with the first-team offense and how they are used. They boast the best tight end duo in the league, but Dallas Goedert will probably miss the rest of the preseason due to a calf injury so we can’t see how he will be deployed with the first-team offense. I will be watching to see if JJ Arcega-Whiteside can have a good showing and perhaps cut into Nelson Agholar’s slot receiver snaps. The top two receivers are set in stone with Alshon Jeffrey and DeSean Jackson locked in on the outside. First-round pick Andre Dillard showed well at tackle in the first game. He doesn’t have much chance to start early this year but another good showing should put him at the top swing-tackle type role. On the defensive line, Daeshon Hall had a great first preseason game with a sack, three hits, a hurry, and a forced fumble on his 19 snaps. Hall will provide even more depth to the Eagles’ already league-best pass rush according to PFF.
Cornerback Carousel
Jalen Mills and Cre’Von LeBlanc are expected to miss time into the regular season, and Ronald Darby has yet to be a full participant in practice. Mills and Darby were the starters going into last season but injuries forced other guys into the role. Rasul Douglas, Sidney Jones, and Avonte Maddox seem to be the starters right now. However, veteran slot corner Orlando Scandrick was brought in as depth and they have veterans Josh Hawkins, and Deiondre’ Hall a bit further down their depth chart. Keep an eye on the corners this week and see if any of them make a case for the starting role in Mills and Darby’s absence.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Get on an Offensive Roll
The Jags didn’t score in their first preseason game. Starting QB Nick Foles didn’t play so maybe they will fare better this time around with the rest of the starting offense. I am interested to see who Foles shows chemistry with early on, especially with wide receiver Marquise Lee injured. Dede Westbrook is the number one receiver in Jacksonville. Behind him, second-year receiver DJ Chark and veterans Keelan Cole, Chris Conley, and Tre McBride battle for playing time. The receivers are especially important to watch because the Jaguars don’t have a significant receiving threat at tight end. If running back Leonard Fournette plays, I want to see if he is getting most of the third-down work or if another back subs in for him during those passing game situations.
Looking at the Offensive Line
Left Tackle Cam Robinson is still recovering from an injury and has just recently been removed from the PUP list. The favorites to play the tackle positions are former Bengals tackle Cedric Ogbuehi and second-round rookie Jawaan Taylor until Robinson is fully healthy. The Jaguars are projected to have a bottom half of the league offensive line according to PFF, and that is with Robinson at Left Tackle. The Jaguars struggled in their first preseason game to generate anything on offense. They gave up four sacks and had 112 total yards, which shows that the offensive line largely struggled against Baltimore’s talented front. It doesn’t get any easier this week because the Eagles have arguably the best defensive front in the league and have as much depth as any team. I want to see if the Jaguars offensive line can protect their quarterbacks as well as opening some holes for their running backs.
Elite Defense vs. Powerful Offense
The Jaguars sat about 30 starters and key personnel in the first preseason game so it will be interesting to see if all the starters get some work in this game. The Jaguars are known for having an elite defense that should be able to stop most opponents. However, the Eagles possess a lot of depth on their offense, cycling in a lot of talent at different positions. I want to see if the Jaguars defense can contain the variety of weapons that the Eagles offer. The Jaguars didn’t do much to stop Baltimore as they scored 29 points in week one, even though they were mostly reserves. The Jaguars were the number six defense according to Defense DVOA last season, and I want to see that level of play for as long as the starters are out there.
-Kevin Taylor (@KTBeast918)