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Philadelphia Eagles RB Wendell Smallwood
The Philadelphia Eagles were brutally struck by the loss of halfback Jay Ajayi for the season to a torn ACL. The absence of the 25-year-old half-defenseman means the Eagles are likely to go into a setback by committee.
There is no doubt that the committee's approach to backfields can be a huge headache for fantasy football owners, and for those trying to replace Ajayi, it's even worse. So, in anticipation of the 6th Eagles Week game on Thursday night with the New York Giants, we will dive and see how to tackle this position.
Wendell Smallwood is the starting point here, but not because he should have the greatest workload. Instead, he is arguably the toughest player in Philadelphia's backfield to evaluate, so we'll try to dispel the subject around him.
The fantastic value of Wendell Smallwood
As long as Darren Sproles stays outside, there will be a strong dose of Smallwood and Corey Clement. Sproles and Clement were sidelined in the fifth week but, as revealed by Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com, he returned to practice. At this point, it is safe to assume that Clément will play after missing two games, while Sproles will certainly be missing again.
The value of Smallwood seems to be a hijacker, but it will remain only very high while Sproles is inactive. In the past three games, the 24-year-old has caught nine passes for 94 yards and one touchdown. Unfortunately, Clément also has the advantage of becoming a target for Carson Wentz off the field, and in his last two games he has totaled eight receptions for 74 yards.
The best thing to do to start is to watch the last match missed by Ajayi, which took place in the third week against the Indianapolis Colts. As Football Outsiders showed, Clement shot 55% of offensive attack shots, against 35% for Smallwood. The percentages may even be a little higher this week, especially since Clément is coming back from an injury, but that does not help the call for a decision to start Smallwood.
Do you have to start or sit down Wendell Smallwood?
The hardest thing in this situation is that the Giants fought against the halves. If it was a difficult confrontation, fantasy owners could simply avoid starting Smallwood or Clement. But during the year, the Giants gave up 424 rushing yards and four touchdowns, as well as 30 receptions for 256 receiving yards and four extra scores.
It would be a good place for an attacking halfback who gets most of the shots from his team, but the best way to contact Smallwood is on a case-by-case basis. If you are in a league of 14 teams (point per reception or standard), I would be good to start Smallwood, especially in the flex.
If you consider it as an RB2 option or a flexible option in 12-team leagues, I would prefer a player with a solid match who has a secure workload on Smallwood. But for homeowners trying to replace Ajayi, this may be one of their only options. The farthest thing I can do is use it as a flexible midway game.
Beyond week 6, you may want to develop a plan other than Smallwood or Clement. As soon as Sproles comes back from his injury, he will almost certainly assume the pass-fixing duties for the Eagles, which will crush the value of both players. But for a week, you can use Smallwood if needed, but not in leagues below 12 teams.
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