The Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings will collide at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 2. This will certainly have fantasy football implications for managers all over.
Following a tight win over the Detroit Lions in their season opener, the Eagles will host the Vikings for Monday Night Football. The Vikings also won in Week 1, dominating the Green Bay Packers, 23-7.
This battle promises to be a nail-biter.
In the Eagles' Week 1 win, QB Jalen Hurts accounted for 243 yards through the air and 90 yards on the ground. With 155 yards on 10 catches in his Philadelphia debut, wide receiver A.J. Brown also stole the show.
Meanwhile, in Week 2 NFL action, the Vikings will look to start a season 2-0 for the first time since 2016. Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson connected for two touchdowns as they defeated the Packers in Week 1.
The Eagles are slight favorites on the money line and the spread, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. This Monday night matchup actually has one of the higher expected totals (51.5) on the NFL Week 2 schedule. FanDuel predicts a 31-28 victory for the Eagles.
Looking ahead, one player from Philadelphia whom fantasy football managers should consider is running back Miles Sanders. He is the Eagles fantasy football sleeper for Week 2.
Eagles Fantasy Football Sleeper for Week 2
Miles Sanders
In less than 25 minutes during Week 1, Miles Sanders finally scored a touchdown after 163 scoreless touches last year. He led the backfield with 13 runs for 94 yards and a touchdown. For nine yards, he also caught two targets. Sanders finished with 18.5 PPR points, the most he has earned since Week 14 of 2020.
Miles Sanders puts the @Eagles ahead! #FlyEaglesFly
📺: #PHIvsDET on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/0xppgWoFk7 pic.twitter.com/NNqeE3DrWD— NFL (@NFL) September 11, 2022
While this is wonderful, there is more to it. Fellow RBs Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell were also involved in the Eagles offense. Scott played 14 snaps and had four carries for 10 yards, as well as a score. Gainwell also had five carries for 20 yards and a score, while adding 12 yards on two receptions. He also had a four-to-two target advantage against Sanders. To top it off, Jalen Hurts carried 17 times for 90 yards and a touchdown.
So we have three different ball carriers (all RBs), four different touchdown scorers, and two men splitting passing game reps. Sanders played well, but managers should also keep in mind that this may be a rushing-by-committee offense in Philly.
Having said that, Sanders is the only Eagles running back worth starting on a weekly basis. This backfield is divided three ways, with Scott taking just enough of Gainwell's job to keep him out of fantasy teams. Meanwhile, Sanders' 15 touches resulted in 101 total yards and an RB13 week to start the season. Take note that Sanders currently ranks sixth in yards per touch and twentieth in yards produced per touch.
His efficiency and rushing behind a top-five offensive line will help him get more touches on a weekly basis. Sanders might have a similar stat line to last week's game against the Vikings. Remember that Minnesota is now ranked 24th or below in every defensive line yard metric in 2022. Last week, they allowed the seventh-highest rushing EPA and the fourth-highest rushing success rate.
Sanders is a speedy and strong runner who benefits from early downs and is the Eagles' most experienced runner. He can abuse this Vikings d-line as long as he has the carries. While the Eagles' committee backfield might hurt Sanders' chances of putting up really big numbers, he should still be efficient.
Sanders ran the ball eight and nine times more than the others, leading the backfield by a huge margin in running yards, yet they all finished with a touchdown. If Monday's game is a shootout, Sanders may get more than two targets, which is good news. We like Sanders as a chain mover, and we believe in his upside.
Miles Sanders has a great opportunity to break out against the Vikings, and he's the Eagles fantasy football sleeper you should start.
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