A Surprise Fantasy Playoff MVP
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…
So after a crazy, turbulent year we’ve finally made it to the fantasy championship final. And in Eagles starting quarterback Jalen Hurts, we may have an unlikely league winner…
After replacing Carson Wentz as the starter in week 14, second-round rookie Jalen Hurts has now become one of the hottest names in fantasy football. Hurts surprised everyone with his impressive performance against a stingy Saints defense in his first start and he followed it up by finishing as the QB1 in week 15 against the Cardinals. Hurts threw 44 times last week, completing 24 for 338 yards and three touchdowns, adding a further 63 yards and a touchdown on the ground. His fantasy performance ranked as the 7th best by a quarterback so far this season, according to FantasyData.
In both weeks Hurts has demonstrated his rushing ability, which always provides fantasy managers with a valuable floor. He has rushed at least ten times in each start, accumulating a total of 169 yards on 29 rushes, representing a healthy 5.8 yards per attempt.
The introduction of Hurts has breathed life into the whole Eagles offense, which has improved dramatically statistically in the last two weeks. In each of his last two starts, the offense has gained over 400 total yards, after reaching that feat in just one of the previous 12 games with Wentz as the quarterback.
This week provides another fantastic opportunity for Hurts to provide even more fantasy production for those lucky enough to have picked him up. The Eagles face their division rivals the Dallas Cowboys, fresh from their 41-33 win over San Francisco. We shouldn’t expect a repetition of last week’s shootout against Kyler Murray, but there is every chance Hurts could replicate his rushing performance seen in his first start against New Orleans.
Defensively, the Cowboys have been one of the worst teams in the league, particularly against the run. They have allowed a staggering 2,265 rushing yards so far this year, the most in the league and over 150 yards more than the next highest. This came at an average of 5.0 yards per attempt, also representing the highest in the league.
Just two weeks ago the Cowboys showed what a mobile quarterback could accomplish, with Lamar Jackson rushing 13 times for 94 yards and a touchdown, and the team allowing a total of 294 rushing yards to the Ravens. All in all this gives Hurts, who has already shown his ability to run, an opportunity to have a huge day. If you’ve managed to make it to fantasy championship week while streaming quarterbacks, there won’t be a better option than the rookie available on the waiver wire. Even amongst more established names, there aren’t many better matchups than this.
So what about next year? Clearly, the Eagles front-office has a big decision to make at the quarterback position this coming off-season, but up until now Hurts hasn’t put a foot wrong. If Hurts is the starting quarterback in Philadelphia next, he could provide tremendous value in re-draft leagues as long as his hype doesn’t get too far out of control. With a full (hopefully normal) off-season ahead and potentially more help both in terms of weapons and offensive line, Hurts will be an interesting name to evaluate given he is likely to be drafted well behind the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray.