Week 4 at Green Bay
Darren Sproles is getting on the field as much as Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard, but only has four touches the past two games. He is being used to block more in the passing game and on third-down situations.
Even with a decent matchup against the Packers, Sproles is not involved enough to take a bench spot at this time. Keep him on the waiver wire or drop him if there are better options in your league.
Week 3 vs Detroit
Darren Sproles went from 12 touches in Week 1 to two in Week 2. Part of that was because Sproles was injured Sunday night, but is expected to play. He still played 35% of the snaps which is more than his teammate Jordan Howard, but a lot of that is coming on third downs.
Sproles will face a below-average Detroit defense this week, but he has very little fantasy value in standard leagues because he won't carry the ball much. He does have some value in PPR leagues as the third-down back. But for Week 3, keep him on the bench.
Week 2 at Atlanta
Veteran Darren Sproles had the best production of any Eagles running back last week as he ended up with 12 touches for 63 yards. He is still third on the depth chart but did get on the field for 31% of the snaps which was actually more than backup RB Jordan Howard. Sproles is 36 years old but still can play.
The Falcons are up next and are 25th in aFPA to running backs. Sproles production is encouraging and against a poor defense should be similar but the time on the field is limited because of Howard and Miles Sanders. Not enough value there for Sproles to be on your roster quite yet.
Week 19 at New Orleans Saints
Just how charmed the Nick Foles-led Eagles are will be tested this week, as the Super Bowl MVP and winner of four consecutive games travels to New Orleans where Philadelphia lost by 41 in Week 11. The Birds have the third lowest implied team total this week at 21.75 points. The Saints rank top five in aFPA to RBs. Their tough defensive front makes every Eagles' back in their RBBC a low-floor risk. Sproles would be the best option in PPR formats.
Week 17 at Washington Redskins
The Eagles offensive starters will be full-go in Week 17, as Philadelphia hopes to sneak back into the playoffs with a win and Vikings loss. With Nick Foles at the helm, this offense has posted back-to-back weeks of 30 points or more. Vegas has set a lower implied total for Philly this week at 24, despite the Eagles being installed as 6.5-point favorites. Washington may be only ranked 21st in aFPA to RBs, but this backfield is a full-blown committee. In back-to-back weeks, three running backs in this offense have seen at least five touches. If there's a dart throw in PPR leagues, it's Sproles, but he's extremely risky.
Week 16 vs. Houston Texans
Jolly Ol' St. Nick Foles brought presents yet again to Philadelphia fans last week, and with playoff hopes still alive, Foles may come down the chimney yet again. Against Houston, Philly has an implied team total of 23.75 points, a little better than average for the Week 16 slate. The Texans rank seventh in aFPA to RBs, foreshadowing tough sledding for Eagles RBs this week. Darren Sproles has seen just four, four and six touches since returning from injury. That's not enough to make him a FLEX option for Week 16.
Week 15 at Los Angeles Rams
The defending Super Bowl champs continue to suffer major injuries to starting positions, with the latest in the form of a back injury for Carson Wentz. Insert the Super Bowl MVP against his former team, as Nick Foles comes back to the spotlight. What does it mean for the ground game? The Rams are 11th in aFPA to RBs this season, and this game has an over/under of more than 50, but the Eagles have an implied team total of less than 20. Extreme negative game script could affect Josh Adams, leading to more playing time for Darren Sproles with Corey Clement on IR, but that's a serious dart throw to play Sproles at this point in the season.
Week 14 at Dallas Cowboys
The Eagles head to Dallas for a pivotal division match-up. Philadelphia has an implied team total of just 20.25 points, in the bottom third for Week 14 against a strong Cowboys defense. Dallas ranks top five in aFPA to RBs. With 20 and 22 rushes in his last two games, Josh Adams is the only viable fantasy starter in the Eagles backfield. His lack of passing game production though pushes him down to FLEX territory, however. Corey Clement and Darren Sproles combined for 12 touches last week, rendering neither of them as starting options in Week 14.
Week 3 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Philadelphia has an attractive 27-point implied team total this week, which should lead to positive game script for the running backs. The Colts are also just 25th in PPR points allowed to the running back position through two weeks. However, Darren Sproles missed practice Wednesday and Thursday. He's unlikely to play. But if he does and Jay Ajayi doesn't, be sure to check back for our updated rankings. There's a good chance he'll have flex appeal in that situation.
Week 2 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Doug Pederson continues to say Jay Ajayi will receive even more work than the 15 carries he had in Week 1. That's encouraging considering he only played 40 percent of snaps, but it's not encouraging for the rest of this backfield, as there just is not enough volume to go around to warrant fantasy starting consideration. Darren Sproles may have matched Ajayi's snap count in Week 1, but Ajayi appears to have control of the all-important goal-line work in this offense.
