2025 Team Previews: Philadelphia Eagles
All ADP data is courtesy of Fantasy Pros.
** = target in drafts at this ADP
Relevant Players
Saquon Barkley, RB (ADP: 3, RB2): What happens when you take the most talented RB in the NFL and have him go from one of the worst offensive lines to playing behind one of the best? You get 2024 Saquon Barkley, who put up 2,283 yards from scrimmage, over 2,000 rushing yards, and 15 touchdowns. Barkley is elite in every facet of the position, an ultimate dual threat workhorse who can get tough yards, run between the tackles, bust runs outside, and house it from anywhere on the field as a rusher or receiver. He’s a strong candidate to be the first overall pick.
A.J. Brown, WR (ADP: 21, WR10): Brown’s season had a bit of a stink to it due to injuries as well as a little drama/friction with QB Jalen Hurts. The Eagles obviously got past it, as they went on to win a Super Bowl, but some of the issues can potentially limit Brown from being a super elite WR in the tier of a Justin Jefferson. It’s certainly got nothing to do with his talent or ability, as Brown is as good as anyone at all three levels and against zone, man or press.
But Brown’s bread and butter are plays in the intermediate and deep parts of the field. His career yards per reception mark is 15.8, and last year he was at 16.1. The issue is that Jalen Hurts is an inconsistent thrower of the football, and with Philly’s run game humming like it did, Brown’s chances decreased. When you reduce his target share, and the majority of his targets are lower percentage throws, you can increase his week to week volatility. Now, even with all his issues he cleared 1,000 yards by a healthy margin and matched his 2023 touchdown total (7) in just 13 games. This is an elite WR, and if he stays healthy you’re looking at 1,200 yards with double-digit TD upside and the potential for 100 catches. Don’t overthink it, this ADP is very fair.
**Jalen Hurts, QB (ADP: 37, QB4): Hurts is such an atypical elite fantasy QB. He’s one of the best in the game on the ground, which is the source of his elite value. He has notched double-digit rushing touchdowns in four straight seasons and gone over 600 rushing yards in all of those years. In fact, thanks largely to the unstoppable “Tush Push” on the goal line, Jalen Hurts leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns (52) since 2021, beating out Derrick Henry by one score. In 2022 and 2023, Hurts appeared to have burst through his ceiling as a passer too, throwing for over 3,700 yards in both of those seasons in addition to his elite rushing. That took a giant step back last year though, and it’s why you can grab Hurts here rather than alongside Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.
2024 saw Hurts play in 15 games and fail to hit 3,000 passing yards. He also threw just 18 touchdown passes. He was still an upper crust QB1 for fantasy, but his path to the production was bumpy and stressful for his managers, who had to sweat the rushing touchdowns weekly because he was providing very little otherwise. That reliance on scoring rushing TDs is risky. Numbers-wise, Hurts has been the best bet in the NFL for that stat. If you’re going to have a rushing TD-dependent QB, this is the guy to have. On the other hand, Barkley is here too, and while he scored 15 touchdowns last year, if he goes for 20, and Hurts drops to 10, it’s still a good year but a much more volatile one on a weekly basis. The Eagles’ O-line will remain strong, all the Super Bowl systems are still in place, and I think Hurts getting closer to his 2022-2023 passing form is a likelier outcome than his rushing TDs falling off. If you can stomach some anxiety in season, Hurts will pay off with big numbers at a more reasonable cost than Allen or Lamar.
**DeVonta Smith, WR (ADP: 54, WR23): Smith suffered the most from Philadelphia’s passing game regression and increasing reliance on a league-best ground attack. He saw his receptions fall from 81 to 68, his yardage dip from 1,066 to 833, and his yards per catch fall by a yard to 12.3. He also missed some time, playing in just 13 games. Because of that, the presence of Barkley, the alpha status of A.J. Brown, and still having a stigma attached to him because of his size, Smith is just not viewed as an elite receiver. Lucky us.
Smith is an absolute monster, and it’s only a matter of time before he has a high-end WR1 season. I’m ready to spend this level of draft capital for the opportunity to have that season happen on my rosters. Last season Smith crushed man coverage to the tune of 78.3% success, a 95th percentile mark. He was pressed 10.2% of the time, and he beat it at an 80% rate, a 91st percentile number. He’s small, but that does not matter in the slightest. And if you want to bump him inside, or have him on the flank off the line, he beats zone at an 81.5% clip (76th percentile). Smith does have some weaknesses on nines and corner routes, likely where his small stature does impact his play a bit, but this man is a masterful separator. His success rates are insane; posts (82.1%), digs (93.1%), curls (81.6%), slants (83.7%) and outs (82.8%) are all routes he ran with regularity. His route tree is unpredictable, making him an absolute nightmare cover regardless of what defense you’re in. The leap to elite is coming.
Interesting Sleeper(s)
Dallas Goedert, TE (ADP: 137, TE17): I’m not a believer in offenses having too many mouths to feed, but Goedert does seem to be the forgotten talent for the Eagles. It’s not that Jalen Hurts can’t feed a third pass catcher, it’s that the Eagles run the ball so much and so efficiently that Goedert’s piece of the pie has to be too small. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are always open, and they are such superior playmakers that even when Goedert is doing good work, he remains the third read. I believe he can be a season-long answer if you want to wait in your draft, but I have given up the dream of his breakout.
Notable Players
Jahan Dotson, WR (ADP: N/A): Dotson had so much promise as a rookie with Washington, and it’s all gone so downhill ever since. I still think Dotson can play, but in 17 games last year he managed only 19 receptions on 33 targets. He’s just not involved here, and they don’t need him to be. Dotson could wind up relevant if DeVonta Smith got hurt, but I’m not betting on that.
Handcuffs
Will Shipley, RB (ADP: 223, RB63): Shipley looked pretty explosive in his rare opportunities last season, and he should see more snaps with Kenneth Gainwell off the team. Barkley is the alpha and omega here, so this is pure handcuff stuff, but if Shipley were to take over due to injury I do think he’s a very fantasy relevant player.
AJ Dillon, RB (ADP: 292, RB81): Dillon missed the entire 2024 season due to injury, and while we should all root for him to overcome, and this is a solid team for him to return with, Dillon was just never all that good. He peaked in 2021 with an 803-yard, seven total touchdown campaign and was never able to wrest control of Green Bay’s backfield for himself, or become a high-TD goal line hammer. I believe he was brought here to be depth, and even if Barkley went down, he’d be depth and part of a committee with Shipley getting the larger share.