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The Philadelphia Eagles chose not to address the running back position in the NFL Draft or free agency, showing the organization’s comfort level with the six ball-carriers currently on the roster.
Miles Sanders came on as a rookie after Jordan Howard left the lineup, while Boston Scott’s late-season heroics and tough running were a huge reason for the Birds winning four straight division games to advance to the playoffs.
Both running backs are exception carrying the football, but it’s their value as pass-catchers that have the Eagles and fantasy football owners so confident going forward. Pro Football Focus just took an in-depth look at the NFL running backs with the best passing game upside this season and both players landed on the list.
Sanders and Scott are currently on opposite ends of the spectrum. As of now, Sanders is one of the most sought-after running backs in all of fantasy football, with an average draft position (ADP) of 11.44 (RB8) since the beginning of July according to BestBall10’s drafts. On the other hand, Scott is a great option for zero-RB strategists looking to invest as little as possible into the RB position. Scott’s current ADP lands at 128.32, or RB50. The reason both players make the list is that both Scott and Sanders are productive receivers, and both players possess the skills to make an impact as receivers once again in 2020. Although it is a tiny sample size, Scott’s main impact came from Week 14 onward, as he never registered more than 19% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps in any game prior to Week 14. Looking at their numbers from Weeks 14-17, though, Scott actually outproduced Sanders in targets, receptions, receiving yards, receiving yards after the catch, receiving yards after contact, first downs, missed tackles forced on receptions, receiving yards per reception, yards after the catch per reception and yards per route run.
Both players were among the best in the NFL in receiving yards after the catch as Sanders ranked 11th (418) while Scott was 28th (275) with limited playing time as well.
Sanders developed as a running back during his rookie season and was the Eagles’ most explosive pass catcher at the end of last season, ranking third in the league in explosive pass plays (15-plus yards) with 14.
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