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The Week 8 matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys features division rivals riding the backs of standout rookies. We've got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles schooled the NFL’s last undefeated team in Week 7. They topped the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 21-10. The victory came in large part thanks to the Eagles’ special-teams unit. Quarterback Carson Wentz struggled. He completed 16 passes for just 138 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. It’s the first time in his career Wentz has thrown more than one pick in a game. He has also now been held under 200 passing yards in back-to-back games. Perhaps opposing defenses have figured him out. Luckily, the Cowboys’ pass defense currently ranks 21st in the league. Wentz should have no problem climbing back over the 200-yard mark in Week 8. If he can find himself a pair of touchdowns in the game, he will surpass his projections.
Wide receiver Jordan Matthews will need to do his part in order for that to happen. Matthews was held to just three catches for a measly 10 yards against Minnesota. He’s been held to 75 receiving yards or less in every game since the opening week of the season. Perhaps ongoing knee problems are partially to blame. The good news is Matthews hasn’t missed any action. He will undoubtedly post better numbers in Dallas than he did at home against Minnesota. The question is, will the quarterback’s play improve enough to get Matthews back into the end zone? Only time will tell. Fantasy owners are hoping Sunday will be as good a time as any for Matthews to get his first touchdown of October.
Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott plays behind one of the best offensive lines in football and he’s taking full advantage of it. Elliott rushed for a career-high 157 yards against the Green Bay Packers prior to the team’s bye week. He now has at least 134 rushing yards in four straight games. The Cowboys probably don’t want him carrying the ball 28 times per game, but he won’t need to do that against Philadelphia. The Eagles rank in the middle of the pack against the run this year. Sky’s the limit for Elliott and his fantasy owners. His ability to push his fantasy projections higher seems to be limited by the fact he’s set the bar really high.
The only thing that might for Elliott to turn down his production is the return of wide receiver Dez Bryant. Bryant practiced on Wednesday after missing the team’s previous three games with a knee injury. When he does play, Bryant is a top receiver. Fantasy owners probably can’t wait to get him back in the lineup. Even with Elliott proving to be the embodiment of a workhorse in the backfield, Bryant will undoubtedly be counted on to handle some of that burden via the passing game. It’ll be tough to beat his projections against Philadelphia, though. The Eagles have been pretty solid against passing games this year.