The Philadelphia Eagles brought in some insurance for their running game Monday making a trade with the Miami Dolphins for running back Jay Ajayi. The Eagles gave up their fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft to get the Dolphins’ star rusher. Ajayi is expected to work in tandem with Eagles power runner LeGarrette Blount in the backfield. Ajayi is likely to take over the pass-catching responsibilities early on.
Fantasy football start/sit, Week 9: What to do with Jay Ajayi on Sunday
Ajayi heads to Philadelphia to share the backfield with LeGarrette Blount. We break down the fantasy implications.
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The first game in an Eagles uniform will not be an easy one for Ajayi. He faces a shutdown defense when the Eagles host the Denver Broncos Sunday. The Broncos have given up the fewest total yards, 1,827, to opposing offenses through the first half of the season. They are the only defense in the NFL that has not allowed 2,000 total yards so far this season.
NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport tweeted that he will play, but it will be, “a small package of plays.”
Fantasy impact: This is going to be a great matchup to watch, but it can go either way in fantasy. Ajayi gets to run behind a much better offensive line, but he could be limited learning a new offense in a very short time. On the other side of the ball, the Broncos just held the leagues leading rusher, Kansas City Chiefs rookie Kareem Hunt, to his first game under 100 total yards. There are a lot of unknowns so it would be understandable to leave Ajayi on the bench, however, his playmaking ability behind the Eagles’ offensive line is worth the risk.
