Jalen Hurts had a big first half on the ground. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
This week, Mark Andrews wore the goat horns as the Ravens were knocked out of the playoffs; Buffalo’s D answered its many critics; and Saquon Barkley broke the Eagles record for most rushing yards in a playoff game – a mark that had stood since 1949. Some other Fantasy football stories we’re following…
Jalen Hurts Defers to Run Game
After taking out the Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles are back in the NFC Championship Game for the second time in three years. And while they are favoured to beat the upstart Commanders, some believe the Washington moneyline has potential value.
It’s a fair argument. While Philadelphia easily covered the spread against Washington on November 14, it lost a tight one on the road against the Commanders just before Christmas.
On Sunday, Jalen Hurts might have taken a back seat to Barkley, but it’s not like he didn’t step up too, especially on the ground as the Eagle QB racked up 70 yards, highlighted by a 44-yard TD run.
Hurts wasn’t at his best in the passing game in a tough situation, weather-wise. He was efficient (15-for-20), but had modest yardage numbers and failed to throw a touchdown. And while he wasn’t picked, he did get sacked a season-high seven times.
Hurts had to wear a knee brace after getting hurt in the second half, and that definitely affected his ability to move around. This may be something to monitor this weekend and of course, is not the first time he’s been injured in recent weeks. Hurts insists he’ll be good to go Sunday, but Fantasy owners would be well-advised to track his status throughout the week.
You would think the Eagles will need to find their passing game to beat Washington and get to the Super Bowl. But so far, a dominant rushing attack and stellar defense has been good enough to keep pushing Philly forward.
Hurts enjoyed arguably his finest season yet in 2024-25 despite missing the last two games with a concussion. He tied his career high in YPP and had his lowest interception total since his rookie season.
For Fantasy purposes, Hurts slots third among the four quarterbacks left standing. Still, for a dude who came into the NFL with the anticipation that he’d top out as a good backup (with the possibility of growing into a starting role), he’s done amazingly well for himself.
Can Washington Knock Off Another Giant?
The big story of the weekend was the Washington Commanders massive upset over Super Bowl favourite Detroit. More and more Washington looks like the real deal, having won seven straight games including its two playoff victories.
The last time the Commanders (nee Redskins) made it this far was 33 years ago, when they won their last Super Bowl.
Among the more promising developments in this game was that running back Brian Robinson Jr. enjoyed his best performance in six weeks, scampering for 77 yards and two TDs on just 15 carries. After struggling badly in the Wild Card game, this was a welcome sight and the fact that he hit paydirt twice for the first time since early-October was the cherry on top.
A third round pick in 2022, Robinson enjoyed his best year, despite missing three games. He set personal highs in yardage, YPC and touchdowns. However, he didn’t fare as well in the passing game, managing just 20 catches and no touchdowns. All told, Robinson barely ranked inside the top 90 in Fantasy points, so small wonder he’s a long shot win Super Bowl MVP (assuming Washington gets there) – FanDuel has him listed at +20,000 to bag this honour.
For the NFC Championship game, he’s just outside the top 10 flex players and a top four RB option, but obviously does not have a great matchup in this one.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
Billy Joel was most prolific from 1971 through 1993, a period that saw him churn out a dozen studio albums. Here he is with Elton John playing “Piano Man.”