Welcome to the Sunday Night Showdown Slate for NFL Week 17!
Before we start, please allow me to reiterate that while we all love having a little skin in the game, these showdown slates are basically lottery tickets. Sure, there are times when the chalk hits and everyone shares in the prizes, but more often than not, you need that random, differentiated yourself from the herd dart-throw to hit in order to claim that top prize. As a result, we are encouraged to play responsibly. Stick to the GPP contests (single-entry preferred), don’t blow your whole bankroll and understand that, unless you are a max-entry player, you should prioritize having fun.
OK, lecture over. Let’s get to tonight’s action.
Washington Footballs vs Philadelphia Eagles
Spread: Footballs -6.5
O/U: 43
Weather: high-30s, cloudy – 20% chance of precipitation – 8mph wind
Notable Injuries
Footballs:
Thomas Davis Sr. LB (knee – OUT)
Eagles:
Miles Sanders, RB (knee – OUT)
Richard Rodgers , TE (ankle – OUT)
DeSean Jackson , WR (ankle – OUT)
Dallas Goedert , TE (calf – OUT)
Fletcher Cox , DT (neck – OUT)
Shaun Bradley, LB (neck – OUT)
Derek Barnett , DE (calf – OUT)
DVOA Defense Ranks
Football:
vs Pass: 2nd
vs Run: 13th
Eagles:
vs Pass: 26th
vs Run: 12th
Please note that players not listed below do not mean they are a complete fade. All players listed can be used as MVP/Captain.
MVP/Captain
Logan Thomas , TE WAS – Who are we to argue with the number of targets we have seen from Thomas over the last two weeks? The Eagles defense is susceptible to the pass and Thomas found the end zone against Philadelphia all the way back in Week 1. He is a cheaper option with nice upside.
Jalen Hurts, QB PHI – Tremendous upside here given his ability to run the football as well as throw. The Washington defense has been stout and that front seven is going to be getting after Hurts for most of this game but if he can escape the pass rush there will be plenty of field for him to run.
Boston Scott , RB PHI – Miles Sanders is OUT tonight and Scott is basically free, I mean seriously, take a look at his price on DK…We have seen Scott make an impact when given large workloads at times this season, why not get some extra boost behind his point total tonight.
Antonio Gibson, RB WAS – Gibson is supposedly good to go tonight after missing the past few weeks with a toe injury. Prior to the injury Gibson was trucking which included a three-touchdown game against Dallas on Thanksgiving. Typically the Eagles have a strong run defense but they have nothing to play for and are missing some key players in that front seven.
Mid-Tier
Terry McLaurin , WR WAS – McLaurin missed the last few games due to injury but is expected to suit up tonight. He put up some solid numbers with Alex Smith under center this season and we’ve seen Darius Slay get torched by opposing top receivers for a few weeks now. This could be the week for McLaurin.
Zach Ertz , TE PHI – Ertz is the only healthy tight end for the Eagles tonight with both Goedert and Rodgers ruled out. It has not been a great season for Ertz but has been targeted 14 times over the past two games. This could be the week he catches some of those passes.
Washington D/ST – Yes, Jalen Hurts is an exciting player but the Washington defense has been among the leagues best all season and their front seven, especially the defensive line can wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks. Hurst is not an efficient passer and six fumbles over the last three games but fortunately only two of those six have been lost. Those fortunes flip then it will be a good day for Washington.
J.D. McKissic , RB WAS – If the Eagles grab a lead in this one then we know McKissic will be on the field a lot and will instantly become one of Alex Smith ’s favorite receiving options. Game script would really need to break his way for him to see extended volume.
Jalen Reagor, WR PHI – Reagor is the top receiver for the Eagles but finds himself as more of a dart throw due to his inconsistencies. Hurts is not a great passer yet and though the volume is there, they only connect a few times a game. Reagor only has one touchdown this season.
Dart Throws
Cam Sims , WR WAS – Sims has seen 17 targets over the last two games and at times this season proved to have a good connection with Alex Smith . He is very boom or bust but it’s hard to argue with his snap counts.
Quez Watkins, WR PHI – Getting run the last two weeks, Watkins will benefit from Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson being out of the lineup. He has five catches on seven targets for 97 yards and a touchdown over the past two weeks.