In the second Philadelphia Eagles 4-EYED TEAM PREVIEW, we’re going to be covering the individual defensive players (IDPs) for Philly that you should consider rostering for the 2021 fantasy football season.
So, folks, unlike my “glowing” Eagles Team Preview on Offense article that was published earlier today, it is the IDP portion of this team breakdown that I am REALLY excited about from a fantasy perspective. This Eagles defense got a LOT better, in my opinion, from not just a real football standpoint but from a fantasy football standpoint this offseason.
Whether it be adding depth to the defensive line, bolstering the linebacking corps, or bringing in playmakers into the secondary, Philly’s IDP potential is one you should be excited about.
Let’s take a look at who you should roster in your IDP leagues from Philly in our 2021 Philadelphia Eagles IDP 4-EYED Team Preview!
*This season at Fantasy In Frames we’ll be using IDP123 scoring as our default scoring rubric when talking about the fantasy relevance of IDP player performance.*
Defensive Linemen
*Positional designations & ADP data brought to you by Sleeper.
Brandon Graham (Current ADP: DL30)
Brandon Graham, my goodness… 😲
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 16, 2019
(via @Eagles) pic.twitter.com/fuWsOvzzwL
Finishing as the DL30 in fantasy points per game (11.3), Brandon Graham ranked as the 13th best EDGE (ED) rusher in all of football with a win % of 17.4 % which places him as the ED16 on the season, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). His team-leading combined tackles, sacks, and QB hits in 2020 just go to show you how much of a disruptive presence he is along that Eagles defensive line. His level of consistent play over the course of his career combined with the fact that he can find value as a true DL in the IDP fantasy football landscape, a landscape that’s flooded with DL/LB eligible players, is another credit to him and his potential value on your roster.
For those that draft LBs and DBs early, make sure to draft Graham as you DL1 and reap the benefits.
Linebackers
*Positional designations & ADP data brought to you by Sleeper.
Alex Singleton (Current ADP: LB48)
#Eagles Alex Singleton leads the #NFL in tackles since Week 10.
— Luke Stansfield (@Luke_StansNFL) December 22, 2020
Singleton is an athletic LB who’s motor never stops running. He single handedly makes this LB group much more feasible.
Here’s my breakdown of some reps against the #Cardinals ⤵️#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/JH4X9lJdcX
With a minimum of 250 defensive snaps played in 2020, Alex Singleton rated as the LB17 in run defense weeks 1-17. During weeks 10-17, he was rated as the LB14. The man is an elite #tacklemachine in the making. In terms of fantasy output, Singleton ranked as the LB34 averaging 14.8 fantasy points per game. Singleton’s ADP has him going in the 24th round of IDP+Offense Fantasy Football Drafts. He is a solid LB2 with LB1 upside this season as the defense is likely to be on the field more often than not.
Eric Wilson (Current ADP: LB68)
While not rated highly in any one major category in terms of defense grades according to PFF, Eric Wilson DID finish as the LB12 in IDP123 averaging 17.5 fantasy points per game.
So if he didn’t rate highly how did he perform so well in fantasy? Easy, the tackle volume was there. Wilson is a prime example of an IDP player that doesn’t do enough on the field to get many defensive stops but does JUST ENOUGH playmaking to have coaches keep inserting him into their starting lineups. Coming off a career year in tackles ALONE, being drafted as an LB6 on a team that should give him plenty of opportunities on the field to allow for him to have LB1 upside?!
SIGN. ME. UP.
Defensive Backs
*Positional designations & ADP data brought to you by Sleeper.
Anthony Harris (Current ADP: DB51)
Is Anthony Harris the best safety in football? pic.twitter.com/uwu7ZggM3n
— PFF (@PFF) June 4, 2020
I love, love, love this signing by Philadelphia. Making the switch to strong safety should allow Harris to capitalize on the strong tackling upside that he’s shown to have in recent years. However, not only does he have a tackling upside he’s also a couple of years removed from leading the league in interceptions. Reuniting with defensive coach Jonathan Gannon in Philadelphia, Harris’ ability to be used properly in this defense only bodes well for his fantasy upside in 2021. As a high-end streaming option at defensive back look no further than Anthony Harris in 2021
That’s all for our Eagles coverage for today. Stay tuned tomorrow for our double coverage of the last team in the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys!