2023 Stats (Rank)
Points per game: 25.5 (7th)
Total yards per game: 354.4 (8th)
Plays per game: 65.4 (7th)
Pass Attempts + Sacks per game: 35.4 (22nd)
Drop back EPA per play: 0.11 (9th)
Rush attempts per game: 30 (6th)
Rush EPA per play: -0.01 (4th)
Coaching Staff
Nick Sirianni was riding high coming into 2023 after the Eagles nearly defeated the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. After a 10-1 start last season, the Eagles backed into the playoffs and lost to an overachieving Bucs’ squad. He brought in two new coordinators in Vic Fangio and Kellen Moore. With the offense sputtering/stagnant down the stretch and the defense just bad across the board (ranked 26th in 2023), all the moves were necessary. There are rumors (or people creating a narrative online) that Sirianni and his star quarterback Jalen Hurts are at odds, but winning will cure all. On offense, despite getting quality play out of D’Andre Swift and quite frankly his best season, the Eagles brought in Saquon Barkley to really drop the hammer. The Eagles have gone 34-17 over their last three seasons and all ended in postseason berths, perhaps Sirianni is still feeling a little pressure? Whatever the case, moves have been made to get the team back on track and ready for another deep playoff run.
With Kellen Moore being brought in as offensive coordinator to shake things up, it will get interesting. He was supposed to take Justin Herbert to the next level in 2023 with the Chargers, but at the end of the day that falls on the shoulders of the player. Now, he’ll see what he can do with all the talent he has on this Eagles’ offense. Last year’s offense became repetitive and predictable, Moore will look to provide the offense with variety while getting his playmakers the ball in advantageous positions. While in Dallas, Moore showed that when the talent is capable at quarterback, he can have an explosive offense. Him working with Jalen Hurts should be no different.
Passing Game
QB: Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett
WR: A.J. Brown, Johnny Wilson, John Ross
WR: DeVonta Smith, Joseph Ngata
WR: Parris Campbell, Ainias Smith
TE: Dallas Goedert, C.J Uzomah, Grant Calcaterra, Albert Okwuegbunam
Coming off consecutive seasons in which he was at least a top two fantasy quarterback, Hurts should be in for another monster year statistically. He had career highs in passing yards (3,858), touchdowns (23) and rushing touchdowns (15), his third straight year with at least 10. He also threw a career-high 15 interceptions which is partly linked to how the Eagles’ offense lagged down the stretch from a real football perspective. From a fantasy perspective however, Hurts stayed consistent, which is why he is a consensus top-five fantasy quarterback in 2024. The Eagles relieved Brian Johnson of his offensive coordinator duties and brought in Kellen Moore to shake things up. Perhaps this could boost Hurts’ numbers in the passing game as Dak Prescott averaged 287 passing yards per game and two touchdowns with Moore as coordinator. It’s possible, but it’s important to know that Hurts’ mobility and skill as a runner is part of what makes him a special talent. The beauty of being a Hurts’ fantasy manager is that he can throw for 300 yards and rush for two touchdowns in the same game. He will continue to be coveted as a top-tier fantasy option.
For the third straight season, there will be plenty to go around for both Brown and Smith who finished as WR5 and WR19 respectively. The Eagles locked up Smith for the next three years as he goes for his third straight season of 1,000+ yards in 2024. The team did the same with Brown (for more money) as he’s had his best seasons in Philadelphia. With Brown as an upper echelon receiver in fantasy, Smith figures to be a weekly FLEX play in his own right, but who’s behind him? Campbell comes over after spending last season with the Giants and looks to have a healthy season. The Eagles also added a pair of rookie receivers in Ainias Smith (fifth round) and Johnny Wilson (sixth round). Which one am I betting on making noise first? Smith. The latter is a slot receiver who’ll have a chance to get in the rotation early as well as using his skills in the return game. Ross came out of a quick retirement to join the Eagles, but we don’t expect the speedy wideout to have a major fantasy impact. Hurts will once again be finding (DeVonta) Smith and Brown often.
One the tight end front, Goedert was reliable in recent years, but tailed off a bit finishing as TE14 in total points. In 2023, he failed to see double-digit targets in any game and had only three games where he recorded more than five receptions. When you add in that Saquon Barkley could possibly take a few targets, it’ll be hard to trust Goedert on a weekly basis. At his own position he shouldn’t have real competition for reps with Uzomah who will merely serve as the team’s TE2.
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Running Game
RB: Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell, Will Shipley, Tyrion Davis-Price
OL (L-R): Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson
Armed with a new contract that guarantees him $26 million over the next few years, Barkley will be ready to go in 2024. After a bounce back season in 2022, Barkley was not as efficient a runner, averaging only 3.9 YPC last season. A lot of that can be attributed to the fact that the Giants were bad as an offense, but it’s still Saquon Barkley. Despite it all, he finished as RB9 in fantasy on a points per game (15.9) basis. Now in a more structured environment, there’s no reason to think Barkley won’t be a top-five running back in fantasy. He’ll have more opportunities to score and he won’t be relied on to carry the whole offense. He’ll concede some rushing touchdowns to Jalen Hurts, but he’ll also have more chances to score himself. No other Eagles running back will have standalone value out of the gate, although the team does like Kenneth Gainwell. He’ll start out the season as Barkley’s primary backup with rookie Will Shipley competing for playing time. Barkley however, is set to have his best season yet.
The Eagles’ line should once again be one of the better units in the league, despite fan favorite and future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce retiring. The man who will be tasked with replacing him is Cam Jurgens who played his first two seasons as a guard, becoming a starter last season. The line dealt with a few injuries last season, mainly Lane Johnson who toughed it out throughout the postseason. A healthy Eagles offensive line means the Tush Push will live on.
Win Total
The Eagles had to have the most miserable 11-win season in NFL history last season. After starting 7-1, they proceeded to have three straight wins against the Cowboys, Chiefs then Bills to get to 10-1. The following week the 49ers stomped a mud hole in them and their season was forever changed. It didn’t help that they’d had the seventh-worst defense (second best in 2022) and third-worst scoring defense (eighth best in 2022) either. The Eagles had the second-worst pass defense last season and addressed that by drafting Quinyon Mitchell (first round) and Cooper DeJean (second round), while also bringing back C.J. Gardner-Johnson and signing Isaiah Rodgers. With new coordinators on both sides of the ball, plus a hungry Saquon Barkley, the Eagles will finish a bit stronger and they should be good enough to go over the 10.5 wins DraftKings has them set at in 2024.
