Philadelphia Eagles running backs LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles both had big games to open their 2014 season Sunday, combining for 200 yards and a touchdown in the team's 34-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles make strong 1-2 fantasy punch for Eagles
The two running backs both had strong 2014 debuts. We break down the fantasy implications.
Rich Schultz
McCoy ran the ball 21 times for 74 yards, adding six catches for 41 yards. Sproles, meanwhile, had 11 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown, and caught four passes for 14 more yards.
Fantasy impact: McCoy entered the season as a consensus top-three running back, and while he didn’t find the end zone Sunday, 115 yards from scrimmage is enough to show he’s still productive. His 3.5 yards-per-carry average isn’t great, but going forward there’s nothing to worry about with McCoy.
The more interesting story out of Sunday is Sproles. When he joined the Eagles, most assumed he’d get occasional carries, but mostly catch passes in Chip Kelly’s offense. Against the Jags, though, he had 11 carries against only four catches. It’s looking like (a) Sproles will get more carries than everyone assumed, and (b) he’s a decent flex play or better in fantasy.
