The Eagles have had a season to forget, and fantasy hopes have been dashed by disappointing play by quarterback Carson Wentz. However, over the last couple of weeks, Dallas Goedert has shown fantasy managers that he may be a reliable starting option at tight end going forward.
Heading into the season, Goedert was one of a number of potentially promising late-round tight-ends to gamble on. After a stellar first week, it looked like we may have a great option at the position for the rest of the season, before an injury in week 3. Goedert has now returned to the starting lineup and has seen his strong usage continue.
Last season Goedert finished with 58 receptions on 87 targets for a total of 607 yards and five touchdowns. In the end, he finished as the TE10 in half-PPR scoring, according to FantasyData.
Following a fairly slow start to the year, after the Eagles’ Week 10 bye Goedert saw a clear uptick in work, seeing at least six targets in each of the next seven games. And the former second-round pick accrued at least 50 receiving yards in four of his final five games, demonstrating his growing role in the offense. The last two weeks were particularly productive, seeing a whopping 22 targets in weeks 16 and 17.
Goedert then started the 2020 season on fire, putting up eight catches for a total of 101 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. The third-year tight end led the Eagles in targets, securing an impressive 21.4% target share.
Wentz has regularly looked towards his tight-ends this year, throwing to the position 28.3% of the time. Even with both starting tight-ends Ertz and Goedert out, Wentz still heavily targeted the tight-end position, targeting Richard Rodgers eight times in their week 7 matchup against the New York Giants.
There were reports this week that Ertz may be on the way back soon. Even if Ertz does return in the coming weeks, it’s clear from his early season form that he cannot be trusted in fantasy. On top of that, Goedert has shown his quality when healthy both this season and at the end of the 2019 campaign and should continue to be an integral part of the offense.
Meanwhile, Travis Fulgham has seen his fantasy stock rise and fall quickly in the last few games, reeling in just one catch in each of the last two games. While he has still seen a healthy number of targets, there is still a clear path for Goedert to remain fantasy-relevant going forward.
Goedert’s recent form shouldn’t be ignored, despite the offensive troubles the Eagles have been having. Over last two games, Goedert is the joint-most targeted player on the Eagles with 12 targets, including an impressive performance last Sunday.
Last week Goedert led the team in receptions and receiving yards in their 22-17 loss to the Browns, reeling in five catches for 77 yards and a touchdown on six targets. And this coming week the Eagles face a Seattle Seahawks team who have allowed a total 3,437 receiving yards this year, the most in the league and over 400 more than the next highest team, the Atlanta Falcons.
