Miles Sanders Fantasy Football Outlook & Value 2020

The Philadelphia Eagles have always been an efficient fantasy offense on the ground, but the committee approach always throws a wrench into things. Miles Sanders took advantage of injuries in the Eagles offense last season, and was a major reason why the Eagles snuck into the playoffs last season. Sanders also finished the season as a top 15 back in PPR leagues. At the moment it is just Sanders and Boston Scott in the backfield, but the Eagles adding in a third back would not be surprising. Sanders has still shot up the rankings and projects well this season despite the potential for a smaller workload in comparison to those going around him. After a strong rookie year, Sanders ADP and auction value has seen a quite rise. It could continue to go that way over the summer if there are no other running back signings or draft picks either.

2019 Recap

It was an excellent year for Miles Sanders, as he averaged 4.6 yards per attempt, and did a lot of damage on limited volume overall. He didn’t really break out until later in the year after it took some injuries to clear way to more touches. Over the second half of the season he really crushed. Sanders also caught 50 of 63 balls thrown his way, and he averaged 10.2 yards per reception. He posted 509 receiving yards on 50 catches, once again most of these numbers coming in the second half of the season. One thing is obvious, get Sanders the ball.

2020 Projections

There is certainly room for more fantasy production than projected, but the volume is still what is tough to project for Miles Sanders. His overall upside would move up with an increase in volume. But if they manage his workload each game, his numbers should churn out closer to these projections. They are still very good in PPR formats, but he might move a tick down in other formats because he needs those receptions to help out each week. Keep an eye on the Sanders projections throughout the offseason, because they could change with news of an increased workload.

#Eagles RB Miles Sanders’ great rookie season is going overlooked

* 11th-most total yds by rookie RB in last decade
* 6th-most receiving yds by rookie RB in last decade
* Shined in pass pro
* Only 2 fumbles on 229 touches (fumbling biggest college flaw)
* Got better every week

— Evan Silva (@evansilva) March 4, 2020

ADP & Auction Value

ADP: Late Second Round / Early Third

Auction Price: $31

The price is much higher on Sanders this season, as the war drums are being pounded for a big year by a lot of touts around the industry. His overall 2019 play is also a reason for the drive up. Sanders proved he can be a strong running back, and his ADP and auction value are now aligned with those thoughts and projections. He can pay off these price tags certainly, but any sort of reach I wouldn’t find to be a good thing given the volume is still up in the air.

Floor

With only one year under his belt, Sanders still has a very good floor because of his ability to create yards and his role in the offense. In PPR leagues especially he should catch 50+ balls again this year and have over 500 yards receiving alone. I would put him around the 1,100 all purpose yard mark for a floor and a minimal floor of five touchdowns.

Ceiling

Now if Sanders can average a few extra touches a game and be consistently used, it is not crazy to think a double-digit touchdown season and 1,400-1,500 yards is in the works. He has that kind of talent, and this offense has made a lot of backs have a higher ceiling for fantasy. I love the ceiling for Sanders if he can nab a few extra touches a game.

Philadelphia Eagles Offense

Injuries really hurt this offense last season, but they still managed to be 15th in points per game and 13th in overall yards. They were a fairly balanced offense, and rushed 28.2 times per game. Because of Sanders ability to work as a receiver, it won’t matter much how the Eagles operate. He can have value everywhere. The Eagles played at a more average pace last season in comparison to the rest of the league. This offseason should be spent trying to bulk up the receiving core, because that is what hurt them last season. The age and durability of some of the names here can’t be relied upon. As mentioned above, Boston Scott is the only true other back who would get touches on the roster. We will need to monitor that situation.

Strength Of Schedule

Miles Sanders was excellent against some decent run defenses down the stretch, and first glance against the schedule this year, it is not too bad. Within the division, the Cowboys defense was middle of the road against the run, and haven’t really shown that they will improve with the offseason acquisitions. The same goes for Washington, who ranked 24th against the run last season. The Giants defense wasn’t bad against the run, but running backs saw a lot of good game script against them for fantasy production. That could be the case again.

The non-division games are looking good for Sanders. They will have the Browns and Packers, both ranking inside the bottom ten against the run last season. The Seahawks and Ravens also ranked below 20th against the run, although Baltimore should be better against the run this season. Even with a first place schedule, it is not a slate of bad matchups for the backs here. Cincinnati is a cupcake game for the Eagles, and they ranked 28th against the run last season. Now there are some tough matchups with the Steelers and Saints on the schedule. San Francisco is there as well, but Sanders is the prototype that can beat them. Sanders is in a good spot to put up points regardless of the matchup, just because of how he is used.