Are Fantasy Owners Too High On Jalen Hurts?
The mystery and intrigue behind Philadelphia Eagles young Quarterback Jalen Hurts has many wondering what kind of fantasy season he will have with a full season under center in 2021. Hurts came in sporadically for 13 games behind Carson Wentz before they kicked Wentz to the curbs and turned over the franchise to the former Alabama and Oklahoma star. On most sites, Hurts is listed around QB12, which honestly is astonishing to me. So it begs the question: Is Jalen Hurts being overdrafted?
Let’s Start With The Positives
During the last 4 games of the 2020 NFL season where Jalen Hurts was the starter, on paper his performances left some to be desired. The Eagles lost 3 of their last 4 games, finishing the season a disappointing 4-11-1 (sorry Chad Bauman). But while the scoreboard didn’t reflect kindly on this team, the fantasy numbers put out by hurts say otherwise.
- Week 14: 167 pass yards-1 TD-0 INT, 18 carries-106 rush yards-0 TD, fantasy QB11
- Week 15: 338-3-0 passing, 11-63-1 rushing, fantasy QB1
- Week 16: 342-1-2 passing, 9-69-0 rushing, fantasy QB12
- Week 17: 72-0-1 passing, 8-34-2 rushing, fantasy QB20
To have 3 weeks as QB12 or better in the NFL is nothing to sneeze at, but especially as a rookie that is even better. His week 15 game was among the best games played all season and really turned some heads in the fantasy world as to what Hurts could do leading an offense. There is a track record there, albeit a small one, that does show some promise that Hurts could be a reliable fantasy Quarterback going into the 2021 NFL season.
The Negatives
The only thing that comes to my mind is this: who the hell does he have on this offense? Yes, the Eagles did go out and draft Devonta Smith with their first-round pick from this year’s draft. Smith is the surefire WR1 on this offense, but some of the other “weapons” outside Smith and TE Dallas Goedert leave much to be desired. I know that Hurts put up these numbers with basically this offensive unit, but this unit stinks there’s no denying it. Unless Smith has some Looney Tunes season, this will still be a bottom-third offense in the league.
There are some on the site that believe Jalen Hurts has massive fantasy upside, I disagree. Looking at the other Quarterbacks valued around him, (Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan) if those guys are on the board I am taking them instead. QB12 seems far too high for me, I value him somewhere around QB20 but his running ability does pose a threat. I believe that what is happening to Lamar Jackson will happen to Hurts, Defensive Coordinators are figuring out how to defend him, lessening his value. Hurts is definitely being overdrafted in fantasy leagues.
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