Fantasy Preview: The Tush Push is Still Legal, So Eagles' Hurts Should Still Be a Top Scorer

The Eagles will defend their title facing the NFL’s fourth-toughest schedule with a .561 opponent win percentage, including 10 teams that made the 2024 playoffs. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has his core weapons back, including record-setting running back Saquon Barkley, who rushed for over 2,000 yards in 2024 and signed a $41.2 million contract extension. The Eagles promoted Kevin Patullo to offensive coordinator following Kellen Moore’s departure to the Saints.

The defense faces significant turnover. Philadelphia lost defensive linemen Milton Williams (Patriots), Josh Sweat (Cardinals), and Brandon Graham to retirement, along with Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay (Steelers) and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who led the team with six interceptions before being traded to Houston. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has former Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, a first round pick in this year’s draft, along with free agent signees Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari to bolster the pass rush.

Win Total (10.5): Over -160, Under +135

By Jason Radowitz

• Quarterback: Jalen Hurts

  • Last Season: 15 games, 248-361, 68.7% completion percentage, 2,903 passing yards, 8.0 average pass, 193.53 passing yards per game, 18 TD, 5 INT, 630 rushing yards, 14 rushing TD

  • The NFL is keeping the tush push! That should help Hurts rack up more points. After all, he finished with 14 rushing touchdowns and stole many touchdowns from Saquon Barkley at the goal line using the tush push. In addition, before his concussion to close out the regular season, Hurts was a top-five quarterback. He didn’t pass a whole lot, but the 14 touchdowns did the trick. Expect the same in 2025. He should be a top five quarterback again.

• Running Back: Saquon Barkley 

  • Last Season: 16 games, 345 carries, 2,005 yards, 5.8 yards per carry, 13 touchdowns, 125.31 yards/game, 1 fumble lost

  • Barkley had more than 475 touches last season. Among many fantasy analysts, that’s a concern. Some suggest he’s due for some regression and could be in jeopardy for an injury. There’s always a risk with running backs. However, Barkley had a career year and it probably would’ve been greater if it weren’t for the tush push stealing some of his touchdowns. The Eagles rarely threw the ball and have one of the best offensive lines in football. As long as he stays healthy, Barkley is easily a top-three running back heading into 2025.
    

• Wide Receiver: A.J. Brown 

  • Last Season: 13 games, 67 receptions, 97 targets, 1,079 receiving yards, 7 touchdowns, 83 yards/game, 353 yards after catch

  • It was a down year for Brown in 2024. Yet, he still finished with more than 1,000 yards and was the WR20 despite playing only 13 games. If he played a full regular season, Brown would’ve finished inside the top five of all wide receivers. The targets dropped and the running game increased, therefore, it’s hard to imagine Brown can sustain success in 2025. He’s not going to be a top-five wide receiver, but could at least be a WR7-WR10.
    

• Tight End: Dallas Goedert

  • Last Season: 10 games, 42 receptions, 52 targets, 496 receiving yards, 11.8 yards per reception, 2 touchdowns, 49.6 yards/game, 257 yards after catch

  • Goedert missed nearly half the season with a hamstring and knee injury. As a matter of fact, Goedert has missed 22 games over the last five seasons with the Eagles. He hasn’t played a full season since 2018 as a rookie. Therefore, Goedert is a gamble. However, if he can stay healthy, he’d be a solid tight end option. After all, he caught 42 of the 52 targets, which is really good. He’s still a tight end that you can stream and be confident that he’ll at least get you some kind of points, with potential for a touchdown. He’s more involved in offenses than many tight ends in the league. 

• Defense

  • Last Season: 17.8 points per game, 3rd down 35.5%, 4th down 70.4%, 13 interceptions, 41 sacks, 22 fumbles caused, 13 fumbles recovered, 1 touchdown

  • Even with the losses, the Eagles have plenty of returning players on the defensive side of the ball, — and they brought in a lot of depth that should help. This is a star-studded defense for DC Vic Fangio. There aren’t many defenses you’ll want to draft earlier than the last two picks, but the Eagles are one of them that I’d be okay with drafting slightly earlier.