Fantasy football Week 8 advice: Which Eagles running back is worth starting?

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You better not be starting Blake Bortles or any Jaguars receiver this Sunday. If you are, don't even continue reading, you're not making the fantasy playoffs anyway.

The only fantasy-relevant Jags in this game are T.J. Yeldon and the Jacksonville defense/special teams. Even Yeldon's production could suffer with Carlos Hyde now in the mix. Keep in mind, the Eagles have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game in the NFL (55.3) and just two rushing TDs in seven weeks. Neither Yeldon nor Hyde would be a comfortable start.

Zach Ertz and Alshon Jeffery are obvious must-starts. Jeffery has looked even better and healthier this season than he did last. Ertz is the most consistent fantasy tight end right now, ahead of even Travis Kelce.

On to the borderline guys, with the obligatory reminder to set your lineup by tonight with the 9:30 a.m. ET game Sunday:

Wendell Smallwood, Corey Clement

Unless you absolutely have to, I'd stay away from the Eagles' running backs this week. You're likely going to need a touchdown for either Corey Clement or Wendell Smallwood to be productive and how would you ever know which one is going to get those goal-line touches?

Since Jay Ajayi went down for the season, Smallwood has gotten seven carries inside the 20-yard line. On those carries, Smallwood has gained 0, 1, 2, 3, 3, 6 and -2 yards. He hasn't gotten a carry inside the 9-yard line.

During that same period, Clement has gotten just two carries inside the 20. One was a 1-yard touchdown. The other was a 14-yard gain that set up a 1st-and-Goal from the 1.

Just a muddy situation. Clement is the better start because he should catch a few passes, but neither is a safe bet for double-digit points.

WR Nelson Agholor

It bodes well for Agholor that the Jags' weakest performance all season came against the Cowboys and slot receiver Cole Beasley. Otherwise, Jacksonville has shut receivers down. Even DeAndre Hopkins, who went 3-50-TD against them last week, did so on eight targets.

Agholor is having one of the strangest years ever for a wide receiver, catching almost exclusively short passes. 

Is this the week the Eagles let his routes develop a bit more? You'd figure that with all the recent emphasis on Ertz and Jeffery, the Jags will try their best to take those two away.

I could see Agholor going 7-for-77 in this game, decent WR3 numbers.

Play Agholor over: Sterling Shepard, Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins, Will Fuller, Marvin Jones, Jordy Nelson, Larry Fitzgerald

QB Carson Wentz

Most weeks, Wentz is a must-start. But the Jaguars, despite their massive drop-off from last year, are still stingy against quarterbacks. They've held opposing QBs to 195 passing yards with just 6 TDs and 3 interceptions.

They have, however, allowed the third-most rushing yards to opposing QBs. This could be a game in which Wentz scrambles once or twice for a big gain.

The only way you don't start Wentz this week is if you have one of the following QBs: Pat Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, Tom Brady, Andrew Luck, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Jared Goff.

I'd still go with Wentz over Cam Newton, DeShaun Watson, Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton.

Just keep in mind that no team has been better against opposing receivers and tight ends than the Jaguars. An A.J. Bouye absence would help the Eagles' cause, but Jalen Ramsey will likely blanket Jeffery.

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