Round two of the division reviews are here. We are going over the NFC East now in the surprises and disappointments. Also a quick early projection of the teams for the 2020 season/draft.
Philadelphia Eagles
Biggest Surprises
The Eagles were a team filled with injuries but a few shined for us in fantasy. Let's start with backup tight end Dallas Goedert. He took major steps in year two as he finished as TE10 for the season. He had 607 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Carson Wentz also finally played 16 games for us in fantasy and finished in the top ten. He had his first 4,000 passing yard season despite all the injuries to his receiving core. Also if you did have much confidence in the Eagles during the season, then you must have been surprised during the playoffs. Wentz, Miles Sanders, Zach Ertz and Goedert all finished in the top ten of their respective positions.
Disappointments
The biggest disappointment has to be the receiver core of the Eagles. The excitement of DeSean Jackon coming back to Philly really disappointed as he only played one game. Alshon Jeffrey missed a lot of time during the season too. They both finished outside the top 50 receivers on the season. Even the small chance that rookie J.J. Arcega Whiteside would shine never happened.
What to look forward to
There is a lot to look forward to in 2020. Wentz should be drafted in all leagues based on what he was able to do this season. Miles Sanders, like Devin Singletary, will be highly drafted next year if he gets the majority of carries. He finished 2019 as RB14 after a magical second-half surge. Ertz should be considered a top five tight end in the league. Goedert's draft status is depending on the heath of the receiving core. Also, keep your eyes on if Ertz gets traded since he is becoming expensive. The receivers are questionable going into next season since Jeffrey could be cut, Jackson gets injured too much and if the rookies step up next year.
Washington
Biggest Surprises
Terry McLaurin came out of the gate in week one and played very well the whole season. He finished WR22 on the year for a bad team with a rookie QB. Another young receiver came on late on the season in Steven Sims Jr. Once he took over the slot role in week 13, Sims finished as a top 25 receiver. Washington has promising dynasty receivers in McLaurin, Sim and Kelvin Harmon. Adrian Peterson was a bit of a surprise as well since he was drafted late or even went undrafted in leagues. He finished the year as RB27 since Derris Guice went out injured.
Disappointments
The quarterback and tight end positions were useless during the fantasy season. Neither Case Keenum nor Dwyane Hankins performed well. Jordon Reed and Vernon Davis both suffered injuries early on and left the position unreliable all season. Derrius Guice hurt us twice in the 2019 season. He finished outside the top 50 and was injured two separate times that held him out for an extended period of time. He had a few games were he did well but he was mostly sat in the IR spot.
What to look forward to
Washington is looking to rise in fantasy going into 2020. Dwayne Haskins wasn't worth a spot in 2019 but in weeks 15 and 16 showed some promise in those games. He still isn't worth drafting. Guice is a risky draft pick as he has been injured three times in two years now. Guice and AP should be drafted in similar rounds for next year. Some early projections would be in the 7th or 8th round. As far as the receiver core, McLaurin should be a key player drafted. Proceed with caution as Scary Terry’s production is attached to how well Hanskins improves next year. The rest of the pass-catchers are not draftable until they show consistent production.
New York Giants
Biggest Surprises
I think we all can agree that Daniel Jones was the biggest surprise in fantasy and the NFL. The Giants' new franchise QB was a laughing stock prior to the season. He only finished as QB22 but he had four games over 25 fantasy points. He did have his rookie struggles with turnovers but a big surprise compared to the preseason. A couple more rookies also showed flashes too in Darius Slayton and Kaden Smith. Slayton formed a solid connection with Jones and showed a couple of fantasy-relevant performances during the season. Smith took advantage of Even Engram being lost after Week Nine due to injury. From Week 12 and on, Smith was actually a solid top 10 fantasy tight end and had decent games during the playoffs. Playoff Saqoun Barkley also was a surprise after an under performing season by scoring a combined 78 points in those three playoff games.
Disappointments
Barkley was mentioned for his great playoff run. Overall he under performed after being the top drafted player in many of the 2019 drafts. He unfortunately finished outside the top 10 and injuries keep him out of line ups for weeks. Sterling Shepard was also somewhat a disappointment for us as well since he missed seven games due to injury. He also had five games held under 10 fantasy points too.
What to look forward to
Once they hired their new coach, the Giants' players started to rise with their young talent. The Giants are hoping Daniel Jones can take the next step in year two. He is a better option in two QB leagues rather than in one QB leagues. Barkley should be a top-five pick in drafts again. As for the receivers, Sheppard should be the lead guy to grab in drafts. Tate should be a late-round PPR pick up and Slayton is a late-round pick with upside. Evan Engram will be considered a top 10 fantasy tight end still and should be healthy going into 2020.
Dallas Cowboys
Biggest Surprises
Dak Prescott made huge strides for us in fantasy after being a double-digit drafted player. He ended the season as a top-three quarterback in fantasy. He had career highs in yards and touchdowns. Prescott's big statistical season also benefited Michael Gallup and the rest of the receiving core. Gallup had 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns that allowed him to finish as a top 30 receiver. Witten came back from retirement and performed well enough to be a top 12 tight end. Amir Cooper was WR9 and Randell Cobb was a solid deep league receiver for owners.
Disappointments
For fantasy, the Cowboys were a team you wanted to have all season. All that talent and no playoffs was sad.
What to look forward to
This offense is going to look very different in 2020 as Mike McCarthy is taking over as Head Coach. Look for a coaching change article later this year. Elliot should continue to be a top-five player in drafts. Dak will be a quarterback that you want in fantasy at a semi-cheaper value especially if he is the QB next year. The receivers will depend on Amari Cooper's return. Cooper would be a top 30 player drafted in leagues. Gallup will be over-drafted in leagues so don't reach for him because of his breakout season. Witten will be a undrafted tight end if he returns. The Cowboys fantasy value falls in the hands of Mike McCarthy.