Injuries in the Philadelphia Eagles’ backfield have been out of control in the last two weeks. In Week 4, Saquon Barkley suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter. His primary backup, Tank Bigsby, later went down in the fourth quarter with a core muscle injury. With both backs down for Week 5, Dameon Pierce and Will Shipley split the carries in the first half before Shipley suffered a plantar fascia tear and left the game. Pierce may be the last man standing in Week 6; is that enough to make him a waiver-wire pickup?
Week 5 Analysis
It wasn’t a good Week 5 for Philadelphia’s offense as a whole, but the running backs suffered the most. Pierce led the way, rushing 11 times for 14 yards and catching two of five targets for -2 yards. Shipley did run for a touchdown, but his production was limited: he ran five times for six yards and caught one pass for seven yards. Jacksonville’s elite rush defense dialed it up against this banged-up Eagles line, punishing their ball carriers.
Inefficiency is nothing new for Pierce. After a promising rookie year, the former Texan ran for a paltry 2.9 yards per carry on 145 carries. Philadelphia was comfortable with him as a depth option, but sure didn’t expect him to become RB1 at any point of the season. And here we are.
I don’t expect Pierce to be efficient behind Philadelphia’s offensive line, but he has a chance to be the clear-cut top ball carrier in Week 6 against a run defense full of holes. Will the Eagles have to trust Pierce, or will somebody else return from injury to take his chance?
Eagles Injury Outlook
Bigsby isn’t returning anytime soon, as his IR stint will keep him out for at least 3 weeks, assuming they designate him to return from IR. Shipley’s status hasn’t been announced yet, but a plantar fascia tear could certainly spell an IR stint as well. However, the Eagles may have good news: head coach Nick Sirianni is “hopeful” Saquon Barkley can return for their matchup with the Panthers. That would spell doom for Pierce’s fantasy relevance.
We can’t know Barkley’s injury status until after waivers are completed, so we’ll have to factor it into Pierce’s risk assessment. It also suggests Barkley’s return is close, even if not imminent, and that Pierce’s time at the top of the depth chart will be limited to at most one week.
Now that we have a sense of Philadelphia’s injury outlook, is Pierce worth picking up off waivers?
Fantasy Verdict
It’s very likely that Pierce will be the top running back on Philly’s depth chart in Week 6. It’s good timing for him to face a terrible run defense; Carolina is dead last in yards per carry allowed this year. There is still considerable downside given how bad Philly’s offense has been, especially the run game, but the sheer volume plus the matchup makes Pierce a FLEX play.
If you’re truly desperate for a bye week replacement, Pierce is a good bet, but he’s not worth spending big on in FAAB leagues. He doesn’t have much runway as the top back, and his upside is low in most matchups. Be cautious when bidding on him.
