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Rashaad Penny start or sit: Week 1 fantasy football advice

We break down the fantasy football outlook of Rashaad Penny ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 1 matchup against the New England Patriots.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Rashaad Penny (23) breaks the tackle attempt of Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles lost Miles Sanders as their lead ball carrier in the offseason to free agency, but they found a way to clap back with the signing of Rashaad Penny.

Fantasy Football analysis: Philadelphia Eagles RB Rashaad Penny

2022 gave us a bit of a “what if” tale with Penny. He looked like he was on track for a monster year as the Seattle Seahawks’ RB1 workhorse, until he went down with a syndesmotic ligament tear and a deltoid ligament tear during Week 5. That led to expediting the development of rookie Kenneth Walker III, which left Penny on the outs.

He finds himself in a brilliant offense that needed a runner of his style — head-down power and juking ability between tacklers.

Start or sit in Week 1 PPR leagues?

Start. Penny is useable if you are lacking top-tier runners in your lineup. Depending on if you fell into the Jonathan Taylor trap during drafts, there is value to be had with Penny. As a valuable flex in 12-14 team PPR leagues, he has plenty of upside. Especially if he can take in a goal-line carry for a quick TD.

Start or sit in Week 1 standard leagues?

Start. In standard leagues, touchdowns are king, while carries and overall yardage fall by the wayside. Penny has the red zone prowess that will be heavily utilized by the Eagles this season.

He’s probably not going to bring much value in anything smaller than deep 12-to-14 team formats, but he is a highly intriguing play in your lineups given how much Philly loves to run.