The Eagles took their first loss since Week 4 when they went down to the Commanders in Washington in Week 16. Just over five minutes into the game, superstar QB Jalen Hurts ($7,500) departed with a concussion and Kenny Pickett ($5,500) stepped in, completing 14-of-24 passes for 143 yards and 10.02 DraftKings fantasy points. If Hurts misses Week 17’s matchup with the Cowboys, Pickett will likely start in his place. If that were the case, how would it impact A.J. Brown ($7,800) and the rest of the Eagles offense?
Let’s take a look at the latest on the Eagles’ QB situation and Brown’s outlook for this week.
The latest on Jalen Hurts
#Eagles provided an estimated injury report (they did not practice today).
Had they practiced, QB Jalen Hurts (left finger/concussion), RB Will Shipley (concussion) and LB Nakobe Dean (abdomen) would have been listed as DNP.
QB Kenny Pickett (ribs) would have been given the…
— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) December 25, 2024
Hurts completed one of four pass attempts for 11 yards and ran three times for 41 yards before leaving last Sunday’s game with the concussion. He is also dealing with a finger injury.
The Eagles are two games ahead of the Commanders in the NFC East and have clinched a playoff berth, so they may give Hurts extra time to get fully healthy before the playoff run.
As you can see in the above tweet, Pickett is also dealing with an injury and had X-rays on his ribs after last week’s game. If he and Hurts are both sidelined, Tanner McKee ($4,500) would be the next man up. McKee was a sixth-round pick in 2023, but has yet to make his NFL debut.
A.J. Brown’s outlook
Brown was very busy in last week’s game, catching eight of his season-high 15 targets for 97 yards, a touchdown and 23.7 DraftKings points despite splitting time between two QBs.
Here’s his four-yard touchdown reception:
Kenny Pickett (1) to AJ Brown (6)
Philadelphia Eagles
4 yards
pic.twitter.com/PKIE5VGEfo— NFL Touchdown Videos (@NFLTDsVideos) December 22, 2024
The bottom line
With Pickett playing, Brown clearly remained the go-to option, and he’d still be a WR1 with Pickett in the starting lineup. Hurts gives the offense more upside overall, so it would lower Brown’s ceiling slightly, but he could also get more chances to catch touchdowns since Hurts wouldn’t be monopolizing red-zone work.
Saquon Barkley ($8,600) would also get a boost if Hurts is out since more red-zone opportunities would go his way.
Both Brown and Barkley are expensive options in DFS contests like the NFL $2.25M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st], but they could go off with huge games in this favorable matchup against the Cowboys.
The Eagles are 8.5-point favorites at home against Dallas.
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