Should Jackson/McCoy start for your fantasy team?


With a matchup against a team like the Green Bay Packers, it's no surprise that a lot of the Eagles' playmakers on your fantasy team will see the bench this week. The Packers are a very good all-around team, and it's likely some of your reserves have better matchups.

However, not every Eagle should be riding the pine this week. Despite an overall poor matchup for the team, there are some individual guys who could rack up some points for you this week.

So bring up your roster, check to see how many Eagles you've got on there, and I'll let you know which guys you should include, and which guys are best saved for next week.



LeSean McCoy - Sit

Running backs offer fantasy owners the best opportunity for points, so it only makes sense to start with that position and with McCoy. But quite simply, McCoy probably is not worth starting this week if you have any other better options.

The Packers defense is stout against the run and allowed only five rushing touchdowns all of last season. Not only that, but Andy Reid is not going to make sure McCoy gets 20-25 carries. Reid loves to pass the ball and, even when he does run, he uses a by-committee system.

Reid might call 20 running plays all game long, and it's likely those 20 carries will be split between McCoy, Leonard Weaver, and Mike Bell.

However, if you're in a PPR league, McCoy might not be a terrible option. He is a guy with very good hands out of the backfield and could see three or four receptions and a screen or two.

McCoy will be a good fantasy player overall this year, but he doesn't get a good look in Week 1 and should be considered an emergency option.



Kevin Kolb - Start

While I don't think Kolb is going to do enough for the Birds to win the game, I do foresee him getting a lot of opportunities to pad his stats.

The Packers will likely jump out to an early lead and force the Eagles to pass even more than usual, and with a couple injuries to the secondary Kolb has some potential for a good fantasy game.

It's not out of the question for Kolb to get you anywhere between 25-30 points this week, but somewhere between 20-25 is more realistic.

Interceptions could bring that total down a bit, so Kolb should only be considered a middle-of-the-road starter, but if it's between Kolb and a guy like Mark Sanchez, start Kolb.



DeSean Jackson - Sit

It's tough to sit a guy like Jackson, but I just don't see him having any real impact as far as his stat-line goes. He will draw the attention of Charles Woodson and could create some opportunities for other guys, but Jackson won't be able to shake Woodson and make the big plays we're accustomed to seeing out of him.

There's no doubt Jackson is one of the most explosive guys in the league, but Woodson is just too smart and will know what Jackson is going to do before he even does it. Don't let the age difference fool you, Jackson is still no match for Woodson.



Jeremy Maclin - Start

Maclin likely won't blow up the stat sheet, but there is definitely some potential for a good day for anyone who picked him up.

With Al Harris on the PUP, Tramon Williams will be the guy on Maclin. Williams is a decent backup, but I don't foresee him being able to stick with Maclin. Couple that with the fact that Jackson is going to get all of the attention and that Maclin is actually a better fit in the Eagles' new-look west coast offense and there's a reason to be excited.

When all is said and done, Maclin could come close to 100 yards and will likely haul in at least one touchdown.



Brent Celek - Start

Like Tony Romo with Jason Witten, Kolb and Celek are BFFs. Not only because the tight end is considered a safety blanket of sorts for young quarterbacks, but these guys are also roommates and friends off the field. That should translate into some great on-field chemistry.

Celek is going to be Kolb's go-to guy throughout the year. That won't be any different against the Packers, so Celek is going to have a lot of opportunities to catch the ball -- especially if and when the Eagles offense gets into the red zone.

I'd expect Celek to score at least once, and it's definitely possible he could find the endzone twice if he happen to be underestimating Kolb even just a little bit.



Eagles DST - Sit

Obvious reasons for this one. Aaron Rodgers is on point and will likely take advantage of a young Eagles defense. Just looking at how each guy matches up individually is enough to make any Eagles fan dread 4:15PM EST.

Asante Samuel vs. Greg Jennings: advantage Jennings. Ellis Hobbs vs. Donald Driver: advantage Driver. Joselio Hanson vs. James Jones: advantage Jones. Jermichael Finley vs. Stewart Bradley/Nate Allen: advantage Finley.

And it just goes on from there.

As far as special teams goes, Reid can't even decide who will be returning kicks and punts. At first I thought it was just something else to make the Packers think about, but Hobbs and Jorrick Calvin were recently asked about the return duties and made it very clear neither one of them knew a thing definitively.

So, with all things considered, I'd most definitely avoid the Eagles DST this week, find a replacement with a good matchup, and just try to survive the first week.