Philadelphia Eagles running back Jordan Howard had endured a slow start to the 2019 NFL season while serving as the complementary option to running back Miles Sanders early on. However, the roles have seemingly reversed in recent weeks and Howard has made sure to take full advantage by emerging as quite the sleeper as of late in Fantasy Football.

The rookie Sanders had his fair share of opportunities to establish himself as the clear-cut back before being thoroughly outplayed by Howard. As a result, head coach Doug Pederson has even strongly indicated that he will now see an increase in touches because of his performance.

The update from Pederson comes as music to the ears of fantasy owners everywhere that may have taken him with a mid-to-late round pick. The prospect of Howard receiving more touches out of the backfield provided good reason to be optimistic moving forward. Unfortunately, they may have to temper expectations versus the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6.

The Vikings have done a solid job of maintaining their status as one of the most formidable defenses in the NFL. One of the biggest recipes of success for them has been their stout front-seven that is currently top-10 in run defense, giving up 88.2 yards per game on the ground.

It is safe to say that a matchup like this does not bode well for Philadelphia if they are hoping to establish a strong tun game early on. Then again, they may not have much of a choice since Minnesota has proven to be even more stout versus the pass.

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There is no question that the Eagles are not afraid to let quarterback Carson Wentz let loose by engaging in a potential shootout through the air if they have to. While trying to maintain some balance on offense may be an ideal approach, it is much easier said than done when it comes to a Vikings defense allowing the fourth-fewest total yards per game thus far (292.4).

Given this stingy matchup, fantasy owners should not expect much yardage from Howard in Week 6. Regardless, he still has the potential to salvage a modest day on the ground thanks to his stronghold on carries in the red zone, which makes him a solid flex play with plenty of upside.