Houston Texans

The obvious choice is the Texans, they made it to the Divisional Round with a rookie quarterback. C.J. Stroud is now heading into his second year. The acquisition of Stefon Diggs certainly boosts the offensive firepower. If Stroud continues on this track I certainly expect Super Bowl contention.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns have had an elite defense for a couple years now. The problem has been offensive production, with Deshaun Watson struggling a bit and the injury to Nick Chubb it wasn’t very good last year. This year Watson can deliver and make this team a Super Bowl caliber one. Kevin Stefanski will find a way to bring some sort of production out of Watson.

Chicago Bears

By no means is Chicago a sure-fire Super Bowl contender. I do think they have the pieces to be a serious playoff contender and even in a weak NFC conference anything can happen. Caleb Williams has all the tools needed to perform in Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, D’Andre Swift and two stud tackles. Regarding the defensive the Bears locked down cornerback Jaylon Johnson earlier this year. 

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Why in the world are the 49ers favorites against a very good Eagles team at home?

This a question I think a lot of folks are asking themselves as we get ready for a doozy of a game on Sunday. Look, the 49ers are good on both sides of the ball, but Philadelphia is a very tough place to play with relentless and loud fans. To me the location of this game means a lot. You put this game in San Fran and I like San Fran, but in Philly, I like the Eagles to win in a close one.

The Eagles have shown that they do have weaknesses, but they seem to find a way to win each and every week. There is no giving up with this team, as they always feel like they have a chance even if their down. The challenge for the 49ers on defense is how do you defend the Eagles. You can try and load the box to stop D’Andre Swift and Jalen Hurts but when you do that it opens up holes on the pass defense. Or do you play the pass and let them run a little bit. Do you blitz against Hurts? That’s fine but he can escape most pass rushers and run for 5-10 yards. He is a very smart and athletic quarterback.

When I look at the coaches I like Kyle Shanahan, but don’t sleep on Nick Sirianni. I don’t think there’s a coincidence between the Eagles being 10-1 and Sirianni coaching at a every high level. He also has a top notch coaching staff with a winning culture. This game will be close with the home team pulling it out. I think the Eagles will put pressure on Brock Purdy and make it difficult on him to pass the ball. In addition, they will have a game plan for Christian McCaffrey and try to contain him as much as they can.

Prediction: Eagles 34 49ers 30

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The Vikings defense certainly isn’t one that worries you, and the Eagles defense is dealing with injuries on all levels. With a lot of high priced talent on the field, finding the value plays, mixed with the studs, in this game is what will help you cash out. Good luck to everyone out there, let’s go make that money.

Captain Plays

Jalen Hurts QB $17,100 ($11,400)

Last week against both the weather and a game Patriots defense, Hurts struggled to find the big play that made him such an amazing fantasy option last year. Neither of these factors will be in play as the weather should be great for the game, and the Vikings are not a great defense. The reason you would play Hurts at captain is if you believe he will score on the ground, which I believe might happen more than once.

Kirk Cousins QB $13,800 ($9,200)

As mentioned earlier, the Eagles defense is banged up and will be missing two key pieces of their secondary. We saw Mac Jones throw for 316 yards and 3 TDs against this defense last week, and Cousins has far more explosive weapons at his disposal. If you think Cousins spreads the ball around and tosses TDs to all different guys, he will be your play.

D’Andre Swift RB $6000 ($4,000)

Hard to trust a guy that saw only three opportunities to touch the ball last week, but with Kenneth Gainwell out, there’s a chance we see the D’Andre Swift that we all invested in behind this offense line. I believe he gets the first crack, and if Swift can get something going, he could be in line for a huge day that results in an incredible return on his price. I do believe there’s chance he is highly owned today, but his price allows you to get a lot of other guys in your lineup.

Justin Jefferson WR $18,600 ($12,400)

The highest price player on the slate, coming off a 9 catch 150 yard performance, in a game where the offense as a whole struggles, does not scare you away from playing JJ. It would take a legendary day to return on that price, but JJ could be in line for a huge day with multiple TDs.

Eagles D/ST $6,600 ($4,400)

Three words, Prime Time Cousins. Last year against this defense, albeit a different rendition, Cousins threw 3 INTs, was sacked twice and fumbled once. The Eagles don’t offer a lot in terms of Special Teams, but the pressure they can generate could lead to a sacks and turnovers. The last two Primetime games featured defenses that won their respective games, we could be in line for a third.

Lineup Suggestions

Captain Hurts Swift
Flex Brown Hurts
Flex Goedert Cousins
Flex Swift Jefferson
Flex Hockenson Hockenson
Flex Eagles D/ST Elliot

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The Good

Usually in this section, I focus on a handful of players that I like to highlight. For the Eagles, I want to focus on their front office, particularly Howie Roseman. Roseman is now one of the best GMs in the NFL and has masterfully built this Eagles roster. One of the things I like about Roseman is he is not afraid to take chances. For instance last year’s trade for wide receiver A.J. Brown. Roseman knew Hurts needed another receiver alongside DeVonta Smith and he pulled the trigger. It paid off in a big way as Brown finished the season with 1,496 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. These types of moves are why the Eagles are the top dogs in the NFC.

On the field, it’s hard not to be in awe of how quickly Jalen Hurts has developed. The big-bodied Hurts has always had a knack for running the ball but he has greatly improved as a passer. There was a point last season where Hurts was the front-runner to win the MVP before he got hurt. This season I expect more of the same from Hurts and this Eagles offense.

The Bad

In my mind, this Eagles squad doesn’t have a glaring weakness but there are some areas of concern. One of those areas is the running back position. Miles Sanders had his best season in Philadelphia in 2022 but the Eagles decided to let him walk. To fill his place they traded for D’Andre Swift and brought in Rashaad Penny. Both of those backs have shown glimpses but have battled injury issues over the past couple of seasons. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kenneth Gainwell takes over the lead-back position at some point.

The Prediction

The Eagles will once again be a threat in the NFC although there will be some bumps in the road. I have them losing 3 more games than last season but still winning the division. I believe losing both of their offensive and defensive coordinators will have an impact in 2023.

2023 Record: (11-6 1st in the Division)

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