Another week, another interesting fantasy football contest between the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles.
The weather may not hold up for a strong game for fantasy owners, but there are plenty of interesting matchups to keep an eye on. Let’s get to some of them here.
Best Players to Start
Garrett Wilson
No CB1, no problem? Philadelphia will be without their top defender on the outside which should lead to plenty of chances for Garrett Wilson and the Jets offense. New York’s top wideout has been targeted more than five times in every game since the season opener and is in line for a big game.
His route-running should make him a matchup nightmare for Philly this week. Even if he’s going up against James Bradberry, I would feel confident going with the former first-round pick.
Dallas Goedert
One of the main issues the Jets’ defense runs into this season is having to guard tight ends over the middle of the field. New York has given up the eighth most fantasy points to tight ends this year. In Week 6, they probably get their toughest matchup outside of Travis Kelce.
Dallas Goedert is coming off a season-high in targets, yards, catches, and scores. Quarterback Jalen Hurts would be wise to target him on Sunday due to the talent level that the Jets possess in the secondary. I would expect Goedert to have another top day.
Jake Elliott
Want a running joke that will make Eagle and Jets fans happy? Jake Elliott has accounted for more points this season than the entire New York Giants offense. Elliott has been as dynamic a kicker as we’ve seen in the NFL to date and is insanely clutch.
The reason why he should be a solid start this week? Philadelphia’s red zone offense is among the worst in football while the Jets defensive unit is excellent in the same scenario. If those marks hold on Sunday, the Eagles are going to be kicking a lot of field goals.
Tyler Conklin
Speaking of teams that don’t cover the tight end well, as good as the Eagles defense has been in situational football, they have been gashed against top tight ends all year. Whether it was T.J. Hockenson, Hunter Henry, or others, the defense can give up a lot of plays over the middle of the field.
That means someone like Tyler Conklin, who is coming off several consecutive games of solid performances, should be in line to continue his hot streak. If Nakobe Dean can play Sunday, I think that’s an even better matchup for Conklin and the Jets’ offense.
Allen Lazard
There are plays to be had against Philadelphia’s mediocre pass defense. They give the most yards to bunch formations and they play a team in the Jets that love to run their offense out of the same style. That should leave players like Wilson or Allen Lazard to have big games. Lazard hasn’t been a consistent fantasy option all year, but with Philadelphia’s secondary dealing with a few injuries, it could be the perfect time to use him in a FLEX spot.
Best Players to Sit
AJ Brown
For the last three weeks, A.J. Brown has been one of the most dominant forces in the NFL. He’s averaged over 20 fantasy points a game against some pretty weak secondaries.
That won’t be the case on Sunday. With Sauce Gardner expected to play, the Jets have a cornerback that is physical and fast enough to match up well with Philly’s top receiver. If the Eagles are going to succeed through the air on Sunday, it seems targeting Goedert or DeVonta Smith will be the better option – especially with D.J. Reed out.
Jalen Hurts
Philadelphia’s franchise quarterback is as dangerous a dual-threat quarterback as they come in the NFL. He showed his ability to run and pass the ball at an efficient rate in last week’s win over the Los Angeles Rams. Despite his dominant performance, the Jets’ defense matches up far better to Philly’s quarterback than arguably any other team to this point.
New York can afford to spend a spy on Hurts for most of the game – limiting his rushing totals, while having the secondary needed to be able to quell Philadelphia’s dynamic passing attack.
Eagles D/ST
There’s one surprising piece to the Eagles’ early season success and it’s their special teams units. Britain Covey leads the league in punt return yards and the defense is the top rushing defense in football.
Despite their early season success, this overall group took a hit with injuries to Jalen Carter and Darius Slay. This group should still be successful at getting after the quarterback, but they give up a ton of big plays. Without Slay as the top corner, it could be a big day for Zach Wilson and his top receiver on Sunday.
Breece Hall
New York’s offensive line is excellent when running the ball and not so good at passing. Philadelphia’s defensive line though, is the top run defense in the entire league. Even without Jalen Carter, the Eagles’ defensive scheme is tailor-made to stop good rushing attacks. If the Jets want to win, being able to run the football effectively will be important.
It’s just not something that people should be counting on for their fantasy team this week.
DeAndre Swift
It might be easier to simply say that no running back should be getting a start in fantasy this week. While the Jets are certainly not the best against the run, their gap discipline fits well with Philaelphia’s zone-blocking scheme. Most teams facing New York have run a different offensive scheme than the Eagles. As crazy as it sounds, the Birds run an offense that doesn’t match up very well with Gang Green’s. Depending on what Swift does in the passing attack, it might be safer to simply sit him for next week’s game against Miami.
