32 Fantasy Previews: Philadelphia Eagles

Like a good vampire rising from the dead, I am back and this is the start of a series of articles which will break down some of the top fantasy impact players and their potential for each of the 32 teams. And we will start with the team I know the best, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Michael Vick

If you want a quarterback that you know will play all 16 games, Vick is not your guy.

In nine seasons and 11 years since being drafted in 2001, Vick has played a full 16-game season only once in his career, and that was back in 2006 with the Falcons. That was the year Vick became the first (and to this day, only) quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season (1,039).

Since 2006, Vick has played in 12, 12 and 13 games. Remember, he was in jail in 2007 and 2008 after the dog-killing incident, then was stuck as the No. 3 quarterback in Philadelphia behind Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb in 2009. After Kolb suffered a concussion in Week 1 of 2010, Vick became the starter, but missed four games due to injury, and missed three games in 2011 due to injury.

But as we know, his upside is very high. In that magical season of 2010, Vick threw for 3,018 (his first career 3,000 yard passing season), 21 touchdowns (only his second season throwing 20+ TDs), only six interceptions and rushed for nine touchdowns (his highest since rushing for eight in 2002).

Thanks to that season, fantasy owners rushed out to draft Vick very high, some even taking him No. 1 overall (I'm looking at you, Matthew Berry). (In all honestly, Berry is a great mind and his induction into the Fantasy Sports Trade Association Hall of Fame is very much deserved.)

Needless to say, Vick disappointed those who drafted him very high, especially those who took him No. 1. As mentioned before, Vick missed three games due to injury, but despite that, increased his passing yards total from 2010 from 3,018 to 3,303. But his passing touchdowns dropped from 21 to 18, his interceptions ballooned from six to 14 and the real killer, his rushing touchdowns plummeted from nine to just one. He also fumbled the ball ten times, losing four of them.

Currently, Vick's Average Draft position (ADP) is the sixth quarterback taken, and he's being taken, on average, in the fifth round. He's being taken right around the same time as Eli Manning. At that position, you're getting fairly good value for how much upside he has. The core of the Eagles offense is intact, and the Eagles should be in some shootouts this year, with games against the Lions, Falcons, Saints, Cowboys and Giants on the schedule. But it just shows the depth of the quarterback pool this year.

LeSean McCoy

One of the breakout stars of last season was running back LeSean McCoy. In just 15 games (he sat out Week 17 vs Washington to rest an injury), McCoy carried the ball 273 times for a career-high 1,309 yards and an Eagles franchise-record 17 touchdowns.

As if that wasn't enough, McCoy added 48 receptions for 315 yards and three receiving touchdowns for a total of 20 touchdowns (also a franchise record). This was his first season with double-digit touchdowns.

McCoy was rewarded in the off-season with a new long-term contract (five years, $45 million with about $21 million guaranteed).

Looking ahead to 2012, head coach Andy Reid did come out and say he may lessen McCoy's workload this season. Behind McCoy on the depth chart are second-year RB Dion Lewis, and a pair of rookies, 7th-round pick Bryce Brown and undrafted free agent Chris Polk. Most likely, Lewis will be the backup, so if you want to draft Lewis to handcuff McCoy, you certainly won't be in the wrong.

Even if his workload is lessened, he is well worth the second pick he is averaging on MyFantasyLeague.com. He is only in his fourth season, and we've seen what he can do with the ball in his hands. And he is one of the few remaining featured backs in the NFL, so if you can get McCoy, take him and don't think twice about it. You'll be one of the few owners who have to worry their running backs.

Jeremy Maclin

One of my personal favorites on the team, Jeremy Maclin has emerged into one of the better over-the-middle wide receivers in the NFL. He can also burn you deep with the long ball, as shown by his longest catch being 59 yards in 2011 and 83 yards in 2010.

He did miss three games, however, because of injury in 2011, but still ended up with 859 yards and five touchdowns on 63 grabs.

Maclin has yet to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in a single season, but this could be the year. Reports say Maclin was added bulk and looks to be in much better shape this season after the illness he suffered through during training camp last season.

With a healthy (we hope) Vick back at quarterback, Maclin has a lot of upside, and is currently the 21st wide receiver off the board, going late-4th, early-5th. I think that is great value as a No. 2 receiver for a guy who has top-ten potential.

DeSean Jackson

The other side of the Eagles wide receiving corps is headed by a player who has been a boom-or-bust type player recently.

DeSean Jackson can go from top of the heap one week to bottom of the barrel the next. In Week 1, Jackson caught six balls for 102 yards and a touchdown against the Rams. Week 2 against the Falcons: two catches, 21 yards. Week 3 against the Giants: three catches, 30 yards. Week 4 vs San Francisco: six grabs, 171 yards.

So as you can see, you never know what you are going to get with Jackson. Let's also remember that Jackson was very unhappy with his contract last season, to the point where he missed a team meeting the day before the Arizona game and was benched for the game. And it hurt the Eagles, as you can argue they would have won that game if he had played.

Now, Jackson has a long-term contract of his own (five years, $51 million). If happy, and his head is on straight, Jackson can go back to being the deep threat he has become.

Jackson is currently being drafted as the 26th receiver off the board, five receivers after Maclin (Marques Colston, Steve Smith, Antonio Brown, Steve Johnson are between the two). This means, in a 12-team league, Jackson is being drafted as a WR3. That's worth the gamble if you start three receivers or a flex.

Brent Celek

There was a time when Brent Celek was a breakout TE, when he caught 76 passes for 971 yards and eight touchdowns in 2009. Then the Eagles' offensive line became a mess, and Celek was a fantasy afterthought in 2010, after being drafted among the top 10, even top five in some cases, tight ends. He wound up with just 511 yards and four touchdowns.

After a rough first five games, Celek rose from the dead as the Eagles' offensive line became much better and Celek was able to run more routes, instead of having to stay and block.

He started his return in Week 6 against Washington with 42 yards and a touchdown. After that game, he posted four more touchdowns, including one in each of the final three games, and finished with 811 yards on 62 grabs, including 738 in the final ten games.

Celek is currently being drafted as the 14th tight end, which just shows the depth of the tight end position this season. I really like that value (Celek is my No. 10 TE, currently). And you can get him fairly late, his ADP is currently late-11th, early-12th.

There's your glance at the fantasy outlook for the Eagles. Up next will be the defending champs: the New York Giants.

Until next time, this is your boy, Bill Wild, signing off.

Stats are from NFL.com and ADP is provided by myfantasyleague.com