Quick Hit: Darren Sproles, PPR Monster?

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

The Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News’ Zach Berman recently wrote (click here for the full article):

Expect Darren Sproles to be featured in the passing game this season. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich said that every week during game planning meetings, they will ask, “How can we get this guy the football?”

Thoughts:
In the article Reich was quoted as saying:

“Sproles is the original, right?” Reich said. “He’s the original guy. He’s the prototype. Right from the start, I remember coming in some of the immediate talk was the excitement of how we get to use a guy like Darren Sproles. . . . In Doug’s offense, they’ve done that in the past. We’ll continue to mix in some other things that we’ve all done, that our staff has done to kind of isolate backs and get good matchups.”

It’s easy to draw comparisons between Sproles and Danny Woodhead, who played under Reich in San Diego last season and posted career highs in receptions (80) and receiving yards (755), while matching his career high in receiving TD (6). Are any of those numbers really a stretch to imagine Sproles matching, or even exceeding, this season?

It’s not like he hasn’t done it before, with 86 catches in 2011 (the first of three straight 70+ catch campaigns). He had 710 receiving yards that season, as well as 7 TD (something he’s done twice). Even at his age, it’s easy to envision.

The Eagles are weak at receiver, outside of Jordan Matthews and tight end Zack Ertz, so Sproles easily could be the third option in terms of targets. He also shouldn’t face much resistance getting on the field, considering Ryan Mathews’ health history and the only other competition coming from fifth round pick Wendell Smallwood (who left last night’s preseason game with a head injury).

While the carries won’t be abundant, if you are in a PPR format Sproles could prove to be a terrific FLEX play (at worst). Everything certainly appears to be pointing in that direction.

Source – ESPN