I'll be the first to tell you that I'm a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. I will talk about their players, their coaches and their fans until I lose my voice. Therefore, most of the things that I argue about the Eagles should be taken with a grain of salt.
This article is not one of them.
The Eagles are putting up incredible numbers, having scored 86 points over the first three weeks. Those scores have to come from somewhere. If you have a fantasy football team, you want some Eagles on that team. And you want them right now.
At quarterback, Donovan McNabb is back and better than ever. Most people avoided an early McNabb pick this year, because the veteran quarterback missed most of last season due to a sports hernia. If you were one of the lucky believers to pick him up, you're probably on top of your fantasy league.
The Eagles' 38-24 victory over the 49ers on Sunday was McNabb's worst performance-he only threw for 296 yards. He has 960 yards for the year and has thrown for seven touchdowns in three games. His quarterback rating is 105.1, and his completion percentage is 61.1 percent. No Terrell Owens? No problem.
More impressive this season has been the Birds' running back, Brian Westbrook. People looking at their fantasy drafts at the start of the season may have overlooked Westbrook's versatility. On Sunday, he rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns and caught four balls for 47 yards and another touchdown.
With three touchdowns and 164 all-purpose yards, Westbrook was the top performer from Week 3. Over the first two weeks, he had over 50 yards both rushing and receiving while rushing for a touchdown in Week 2 and catching one in Week 1. He's cleaning up and doesn't look to be slowing down.
The departure of Terrell Owens has had a minimal impact on the Eagles squad, and the reason is Donte' Stallworth. Although the wide receiver did not play in Week 3, he put up big numbers in Weeks 1 and 2. Over the two weeks, Stallworth had 222 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
Wide receivers Reggie Brown and tight end L. J. Smith each have over 100 yards receiving over three weeks, and Brown has two touchdowns.
If you can get some Eagles, you'll have a better team, especially since five out of the next seven games for Philadelphia are at home. The road games? New Orleans and Tampa Bay - those two teams are not exactly Indianapolis and Denver. The Eagles' upcoming schedule includes a Monday nighter against the Green Bay Packers, a grudge match against the Dallas Cowboys and T.O., and a cakewalk of a game against the Tennessee Titans.
Right now, every fantasy football player should be like me: an Eagles fan.
And with the inevitable (and possibly season-ending) injury to Seattle's Shaun Alexander, I want to take this opportunity to advise everybody that no fantasy team can have too many running backs. For Alexander-owners, the obvious replacement would be Seahawk backup Maurice Morris.
If you made an investment in another top-tier running back to lead your team, it only makes sense that you should have a contingency plan. Here's Inside Fantasy Football's list of the top backups that you should have on your team:
Ladell Betts (Redskins): While everybody loves Kid Bro Sweets, Southeast Jerome, Sheriff Gonna Getcha or whatever you would prefer to call Clinton Portis, the fact is that he may be the next back to go down for the count. He separated his shoulder in the preseason, and while he looked solid on Sunday against Houston, it's anybody's guess as to how long he stays healthy. Betts, like Westbrook, has both receiving and rushing ability, so he could see some usage as a change of pace, even with Portis healthy.
Ryan Moats and Correll Buckhalter (Eagles): Buckhalter and Westbrook are listed as the two starting running backs for the Eagles. That is a problem for fantasy owners, because neither back has played a full season in the past three years. Stash Moats on your roster for a rainy day in case either Westbrook, Buckhalter or both go down.
LenDale White (Titans): If you're a believer in Tennessee starter Travis Henry, you're not going to be at the top of your fantasy league for very long. The running back situation in Tennessee could change very soon and the big rookie out of USC could very well be the next Jerome Bettis. Get him on your team.
Coming in next at a five-way tie are Joseph Addai (Colts), Cedric Benson (Bears), DeAngelo Williams (Panthers), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), and Mike Anderson (Ravens): These five running backs are all in contention with their teams' more featured back for the starting job, whether it's Dominic Rhodes in Indianapolis, Thomas Jones in Chicago, DeShaun Foster in Carolina, Fred Taylor in Jacksonville, or Jamal Lewis in Baltimore. Any slip-up by the top running back could very quickly mean a starting opportunity for one of these guys.
Justin Griffith (Falcons): Regardless of Monday night's loss in New Orleans, Atlanta still has the league's most productive running game. Warrick Dunn has never been a goal-line back, so having Griffith on your roster may pay off immediate dividends.
