Game Info
Kickoff: Thursday, November 14, 2024, 8:15 ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Network: Amazon Prime Video
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter)
Washington Commanders
Quarterback
Jayden Daniels: Start, QB1
Daniels is coming off his worst game of the season, outside of Week 7, when he exited early in the game with an injury to his ribs. You may be on the fence about starting him given the poor output last week and another tough matchup – but let’s not overreact. He was averaging over 20 fantasy points a game from Weeks 1-9 (excluding Week 7), and the team will need him to step up in a divisional game on the road. Last week’s bust was due to Pittsburgh having one of the most vicious pass rushes in the league. Philly’s pass rush isn’t quite as scary, and Kliff Kingsbury should have learned some lessons to adjust the game plan in the short week. Jayden’s mobility and big-play potential with Terry McLaurin keep him as a safe start despite the matchup. He was also two 1-yard handoffs to Ekeler from having a respectable game last week.
Running Back
Brian Robinson: FLEX Option, RB3
Austin Ekeler: FLEX Option, RB4
It’s not official, but Brian Robinson stated in a press conference that he feels “great about his chances of playing.” A split backfield with a tough matchup makes this a far from favorable situation for either RB. Austin Ekeler is coming off his best game of the season, but it was on the back of two goal-line carries. Additionally, Ekeler’s most productive games through the air came against the Buccaneers in Week 1 and the Ravens in Week 6, both of which have been established to be pass-funnel teams. Robinson was leading the backfield in snaps and rushes when he was healthy, but the split is uncertain coming off the injury. If both are active, Robinson may be the safer FLEX option of the two. If Robinson is out, then Ekeler would land in the FLEX to low-end RB2 range.
Wide Receiver
Terry McLaurin: Start, WR1
Noah Brown: FLEX Option, WR3
Olamide Zaccheaus: Sit
Phiily’s fully healthy offense should be expected to score on Washington’s defense, who have just ruled out Marshon Lattimore. This should lead to more volume through the air, which has been Washington’s strength. Terry McLaurin has turned on the afterburners since Week 2 and is a must-start every week. He makes contested catches look easy and seems to land a deep ball from Jayden every single week, regardless of who’s covering him. Noah Brown has emerged as the second WR behind Terry, as he’s gone three straight weeks with at least 6 targets. The rest of the receiving corps, though, are lower on the totem pole than Zach Ertz.
Tight End
Zach Ertz: Streaming Option, TE2
Ertz has the second-most targets on the team behind only Terry, so he should be expected to be involved to some extent in what should be a pass-heavy game from the Commanders. For fantasy, though, he remains generally touchdown-dependent and has only logged 1 TD on the season. That came against Carolina, and Ertz finished with 14 points in PPR. He’s a far cry from being a weekly TE1, but the volume should provide a safer floor if you are in need of a spot-start.
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: Start, QB1
Hurts has now gone four straight weeks with touchdowns coming both through the air and on the ground. The early-season turnover troubles that had subsided since the bye week popped up again last week, but that should not be a concern. With all his weapons healthy, Hurts has averaged 31.6 points over the last 3 weeks. Washington’s defense is nothing to be afraid of, so another big week from Hurts seems all too likely.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley: Start, RB1
Kenneth Gainwell: Sit
The Commanders’ run defense ranks 28th in the league, allowing 4.9 yards per rush, and the Eagles run the ball at the highest rate in the league at 55% of their plays. Saquon’s 8-point game last week was a surprise, but we can expect a massive bounce back in this juicy matchup at home. His 14 carries last week were his lowest mark since Week 4 against Tampa Bay, which was a 100-degree day that he played only 56% of snaps. Last week was his lowest snap share of the season at only 51% of snaps due to the game being an absolute blowout by the third quarter. This game should be much more competitive, so we can expect Saquon to explode back into his top-tier production.
Wide Receiver
A.J. Brown: Start, WR1
Devonta Smith: Start, WR2
Jahan Dotson: Sit
A.J. Brown is averaging 16.9 points per game in PPR, which is eighth highest among WRs. This includes the 5.6-point game against the Jaguars when he exited early with a bruised knee. Excluding that game, he would be averaging 19.1 points per game, which would land him fourth in PPG among WRs. Devonta Smith should be trusted as a high-end WR2, as he’s put up at least 14.9 points in six of the eight games he’s played. The only two “bust” games were the “Saquon Show” against the Giants and last week’s blowout against the Cowboys. The Commanders are 17th in net yards per pass attempt allowed and are still without their recently acquired Marshon Lattimore.
Tight End
Dallas Goedert: Streaming Option, TE2
Grant Calcaterra: Sit
In Goedert’s return to action last week, his fantasy production was saved by a touchdown on one of his only two receptions. The TD was a good sign, but Goedert played only 1 snap more than Grant Calcaterra, who was a solid backup for Goedert while he was out on IR. Maybe the team was easing him back into action with a limited snap count, but there are a lot of mouths to feed on this offense, so splitting reps with Calcaterra makes Goedert a slightly riskier start. With that said, Philly should be able to put up points this week, so Goedert would be a high-end streaming option to consider.