Week 3 vs. New York Giants
Smallwood played more snaps than LeGarrette Blount in Week 2, but he still only played 19% of snaps, and 29-of-140 snaps overall on the season. That's simply nowhere near enough to be a fantasy factor. Do not consider starting him.
Week 2 at Kansas City Chiefs
Smallwood was third in backfield touches behind LeGarrette Blount and Darren Sproles last week. He is not a fantasy lineup consideration unless something were to happen to one of those two teammates.
Week 1 at Washington
Smallwood could be a good stash in fantasy leagues with the bench space, as LeGarrette Blount has not looked like a good fit in this offense. However, it's a committee for Week 1. Smallwood will also serve as a kick returner, indicating he's not going to be the primary early-down ball carrier. Smallwood should not be in your lineups.
Week 14 vs. Washington
Wendell Smallwood carried eight times for just 19 yards last week against the Bengals. He's been unimpressive from a fantasy standpoint since taking over for the injured Ryan Mathews, who is getting over and MCL sprain. Mathews could be back this week, which would put a dent in Smallwood's value. Right now, Smallwood is a low-end RB3 option, but the matchup is a good one as the Skins are just 26th in allowing fantasy points to RBs. If you plan to play Smallwood, you're going to have to monitor Mathew's situation leading up to the game.
Week 13 at Cincinnati
Wendell Smallwood carried nine times for 37 yards and added a reception for 10 yards last week. While he looked good at times running the ball, the Eagles fell behind and didn't get much offense going last week against the Packers.
Smallwood was a popular pickup after getting 13 carries in each of the previous two games. If Ryan Mathews is again out this week, Smallwood has some starter value as long as the Eagles can keep this game close against the Bengals. Cincy is 15th in allowing fantasy points to RBs, so it's an average matchup. With Darren Sproles around, Smallwood likely won't see a ton of work in the passing game, so he's a bit limited in value. We have him ranked 27th, meaning he's more of a higher-end RB3 option.
Week 12 vs. Green Bay
Wendell Smallwood is definitely trending up in the fantasy world and was likely a top pickup this week on the waiver wire. Smallwood had 13 carries last week for 48 yards and added four catches for 31 yards. He also had 13 carries the week before against Atlanta. With Ryan Mathews likely out this week, and Darren Sproles having a rib issue, Smallwood could be in store for a big game.
Smallwood and the Eagles take on the Packers on Monday night. Green Bay is 12th in allowing fantasy points to RBs and were just torched by Rob Kelley and the Redskins last week on the ground. It's been tough to trust Eagle RBs this year, but given the current injury status, it sure seems like Smallwood will get a bulk of the work. Smallwood is 22nd on our list so owners should probably temper expectations. He's a low-end RB2 option this week but could certainly exceed that status.
Week 5 at Detroit
Wendell Smallwood burst onto the scene back in Week 3 before the Eagles bye week. He ran 17 times for 79 yards and a added a TD, despite playing just 36-percent of the snaps.
Ryan Mathews apparently had an ankle injury in that game, but the Eagles said after Week 3 that Mathews would start when healthy.This is turning into a four-man committee in Philly and the team has used each back a different way in each of the first three weeks. Smallwood only played in seven total snaps over the first two weeks but it may be hard to keep him limited going forward. For now, figure Mathews will get his share of carries, but Smallwood is worth owning given Mathews' injury history.
Fantasy Upside
For rookie Wendell Smallwood, the road to a significant NFL workload doesn't seem to have a lot of potholes. Ryan Mathews is expected to be the Eagles main ball carrier this year, but there isn't much behind Mathews in the way of backs to carry a big workload. As a result, one could argue Smallwood is a Mathews injury away from significant NFL time. Smallwood is said to have good speed and looks to be able to handle himself as a receiver.
Fantasy Downside
In order for Smallwood to be effective in the passing game, he's going to have to be able to block and pick up blitzes and that's usually what keeps a rookie running back off the field in these situations. Plus, the Eagles have Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner who can easily handle that role. Smallwood didn't score a lot of TDs in college despite impressive rushing numbers. He also hasn't proven to be a home run hitter.
Bottom Line
Smallwood's role right now is too up in the air and will need to be sorted out in camp. It's possible he could get carries to spell Mathews because Sproles and Barner aren't workload backs. Don't expect a major role in the passing game because of much more experienced backs ahead of him, but it's possible Smallwood could have some fantasy value if Mathews misses any time. He likely won't be worth drafting in typical leagues.
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