Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles: Fantasy Football Preview
This week’s version of Thursday Night Football features a major homecoming and should also result in an intriguing matchup as the high-flying Eagles host the undefeated Chiefs. The major storyline that will be covered, re-covered, and than covered again will be long-time Philadelphia coach Andy Reid returning to town with his new team the Chiefs.
The Chiefs are off to a great start going 2-0 after beating the Cowboys and the Jags to open the season. Kansas City’s defense will have a tough task this week as they try to slow down Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense.
Hopefully, the Eagles pushing the tempo results in a good offensive game with plenty of fantasy points to go around. Last week, the Eagles played a great game for fantasy owners against the Chargers with plenty of points to go around. Thursday Night Football has been ugly historically, but there are a number of good plays in what should be a fun game to watch tonight in Philly.
Start ‘Em
Easy Eagles to call: LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson are great fits for the up-tempo style that Chip Kelly has brought and are great plays tonight as RB1 and WR1 options.
Charles in Charge: Jamaal Charles is the undeniable centerpiece of the Chiefs attack finding the end zone in both games this season and becoming a big part of the passing game as well. He’s been right around 100 all-purpose yards in each game and is a solid RB1 that should be locked in your lineup every week.
Bowe Breakout?: Dwayne Bowe has had a rough start to the season totaling just 86 yards on eight catches. He’s been targeted more than any other receiver in both games but hasn’t been able to convert those targets into big performances. He’ll face the Eagles secondary who have allowed more points to opposing wide receivers than any other team in the League. They were beaten badly last week by Eddie Royal, Philip Rivers, and the Chargers which could mean a huge game for Bowe. Make sure to have him active tonight.
Sleeper Tight Ends: Neither team has top-shelf tight ends, but Sean McGrath did catch two of his four targets last week for 31 yards after replacing Anthony Fasano. Fasano has been downgraded to doubtful meaning McGrath could emerge as an option if Alex Smith throws the ball his way. On the other sideline, Zach Ertz had a solid week last week catching both passes thrown his way for 58 yards. Neither of these guys are top ten options, but can be used in deep leagues or double-tight end leagues as sleeper options.
Sit ‘Em
Borderline QBs: Both quarterbacks (Michael Vick, Alex Smith) have had solid starts to the season but still aren’t locked in as QB1’s for this week. If you want to roll the dice with either one, I don’t hate their matchup, but just think they’re outside the top ten. Both make good QB2 plays if your in a dual-QB league and rank between 10-15 in my mind. I would stay away as QB1 options in 10-team leagues, though, unless you have no better options.
Secondary Spaces: Both teams don’t have a solid second WR that they use heavily in the passing game. I’d avoid playing Donnie Avery, Dexter McCluster, Jason Avant, and Riley Cooper since their roles are too limited to rely on especially with a short week.