Week 10 vs. Atlanta
The Eagles named Darren Sproles the team's RB1 after last week's game, but that wasn't the best kept secret in the league. Sproles carried 13 times for 57 yards and added three catches for 14 yards on nine attempts last week after getting 15 carries against Dallas the week before.
This week it's a pretty nice matchup for Sproles and he's ranked 17th on our RB list in standard formats. The Falcons are 24th in allowing fantasy points to RBs so this is a real good opportunity to play Sproles in what could even be a high-scoring game. Sproles got 20 touches in Week 8 and 16 in Week 9 so owners can probably expect something similar this week. Sproles had a nice effort last year against Atlanta in Week 1 with five rushes for 50 yards and seven catches for 76 yards before disappearing for much of the rest of the season, but the point is he's had recent success against the Falcons.
Week 9 vs. Tennessee
Reports say the Eagles are thinking about a move to make Darren Sproles as the team's RB1. That move has already seemed to happen as Sproles had 15 carries for 86 yards and five catches for 17 yards. The 20 touches is the most he's had this season and was coming off back-to-back weeks where he has just five touches per game.
Sproles is 33 and likely won't hold up with that kind of workload, but he's the only back the team seems to trust right now, as both Ryan Mathews and Wendell Smallwood have had fumbles that essentially cost the team two wins. The Giants are 20th in allowing fantasy points to RBs, so Sproles seems like a pretty solid option this week even in standard formats. He comes with risks though, but it appears the Eagles want to try and get more out of him until someone else steps up. He's still safer for PPR leagues, but he's a low-end RB2 even on our standard list.
Week 8 at Dallas
Darren Sproles again saw limited work last week, in what we all knew was going to be a tough matchup against the Vikings. He carried the ball just three times for 26 yards and added two catches for 23 yards on three targets. Sproles now has just five touches in each of the last two games after averaging close to 10 the first four games. This week's matchup isn't much better, as the Cowboys are ninth in allowing fantasy points to RBs. Sproles just isn't getting enough touches now to make him a safe play.
Week 7 vs. Minnesota
Darren Sproles had just four carries for 20 yards and only added one catch for four yards last week. The five touches were well below his average of close to 10 per game. The Birds had been using Sproles pretty wisely so far this year, but this was certainly a clunker for owners who played him. This week, it's a tough matchup, and Sproles is 38th among PPR backs. There's always potential there for owners of Sproles in deeper PPR leagues, but he'll need to be used more than he was in Week 6, so he's a risky play in a not-so-great matchup.
Week 6 at Washington
Darren Sproles had a nice game in Week 5, rushing five times for 45 yards and collecting four catches for 23 yards giving him 10 points in typical PPR leagues. Sproles gets a nice matchup in Week 6 against the Redskins who are 29th in allowing fantasy points against RBs. The Eagles are expected to use a heavy dose of the run this week on the road. Interestingly last week, Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner didn't get a carry after the Birds fell behind early. That certainly isn't a lock week to week, but Sproles' workload seems pretty consistent this year, averaging just under 10 total touches per game. He gets a nice rank this week in a great matchup, but is still best suited for deeper PPR leagues.
Week 5 at Detroit
After carrying the ball 12 times in Week 2 against the Bears, Darren Sproles had just two carries for minus-one yard in Week 3. He's done the most damage as a receiver, catching six balls for 128 yards (including a 70-plus yard TD catch).
This was Sproles' biggest day catching the ball in quite some time, and it's encouraging the team is getting Sproles more involved in the game plan. He seems to be part of a four-headed monster at RB, and is averaging more than nine touches a game so far this season. Despite his big day in Week 3, Sproles is still best used in deeper PPR leagues.
Week 3 vs. Pittsburgh
It was Darren Sproles who had the most rushes last week, not Ryan Mathews. Sproles carried 12 times for 40 yards and added two more catches, but for only eight yards. Sproles and the Eagles rushing game get a tough matchup this week as the Steelers are fourth in allowing fantasy points to RBs. However, this may be the week Sproles busts out in the passing game as there's a good chance the Eagles will have to keep pace or play from behind in this contest. Sproles is still further down our PPR list and is probably only safer for a little deeper PPR leagues. He has just four catches for 32 yards over the first two weeks.
Week 2 at Chicago
Darren Sproles got seven touches in Week 1, rushing five times for 12 yards and catching two passes for 24. He also had a nice punt return. Kenjon Barner actually seemed more like the team's RB2 which could end up being the case much of the season. Wendell Smallwood will also be more involved. Sproles is likely to have a bigger role in the passing game, but the Eagles led for the entire game which kept Sproles receptions down. He has potential in deep PPR leagues, but with Barner a similar kind of back, the Eagles may be very careful how they use Sproles this season.
Week 1 vs. Cleveland
The last two years under Chip Kelly, Darren Sproles has started strong, appearing as if he's going to pile up the receptions and receiving yards like he once did. However, in those same two years, Sproles has also managed to disappear. There were five games last season where he caught two passes or less and eight games where he caught three passes or less. That's supposed to change this year under new head coach Doug Pederson who doesn't have a lot to work with on offense. So it makes a lot of sense to get Sproles more involved.
Sproles gets a friendly matchup this week and a pretty nice ranking at 36th on our RB list. The Browns were 23rd in allowing fantasy points to RBs. There's always a mystery as to how the Eagles will use Sproles, but owners should have a little more faith in this coaching staff. He's a lower end RB3 play in PPR leagues but Sproles-like backs can often be inconsistent depending on game flow. He's best for a little deeper PPR leagues but this is probably as good a chance to play Sproles as owners may see this season.
Fantasy Upside
Darren Sproles can still get it done if given space on the field, be it in the receiving game, a change of pace back or on special teams returning punts. Last year, he caught 55 balls for 388 yards and was targeted 83 times. He was also a key part to a run game that struggled at times. He added three rushing TDs despite the team having DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews as running options. With Murray now out of town, Sproles is easily second on the depth chart behind Mathews, who has had his share of injury issues in his career.
Fantasy Downside
Sproles had eight games where he caught three passes or less. For the type of back he is, that just doesn't make a lot of sense. However, that was typical of the Eagles and Chip Kelly the last few seasons and it's almost as if they were afraid to use Sproles for stretches of the season, which caused his production to dip. He's another year older and has never been the type of back to carry a full load. He went through an early season stretch of getting six touches or less in four of five weeks, so he's going to be limited and inconsistent in that fantasy aspect.
Bottom Line
In the right format, Sproles can have some value. Right now, that's looking like deeper PPR leagues. The hope with this new coaching staff is Sproles gets consistent touches week-to-week so owners have an idea of what to expect, especially for any matchup that is deemed favorable. Outside of deep PPR leagues, Sproles probably won't have consistent fantasy value unless we see more. He's not a true RB2 in that I don't think this coaching staff will give him a full workload outside of a surprise game or two.
