EAGLES JALEN HURTS IS NOW A QB4 IN MATTHEW BERRY’S FANTASY CHART
By Wendy Burke
Matthew Berry has switched unis:
He left ESPN for NBC Sports Edge, and here’s his first Fantasy take of 2022:
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
A lot has changed for me since last season. I have changed jobs. I have – unironically – made an effort to post daily on TikTok. I have even changed on which side I part my hair. Or I would have if parting my hair was an option. My point is: much has changed, okay?
But one thing has very much stayed the same, and that’s my love for Jalen Hurts.
I was all in on him last year and was told that was dumb after just a four-game sample size where it didn’t seem like he could complete a pass. Turned out it didn’t matter. Despite missing two games last year, Hurts still led all quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns, and his 52.2 rushing yards per game were second-most at the position.
That rushing ability keeps Hurts’ fantasy floor very high, but he’s not a complete slouch putting the ball in the air either. Hurts was top six last year in both air yards per attempt and air yards per completion. Yes, throwing deep hurts his completion percentage, but now the Eagles have added A.J. Brown.
I’m not saying Jalen Hurts has Josh Allen‘s arm or is even as good as Allen, but the fact is after Allen’s second year in the NFL, people granted the rushing but questioned the accuracy. Then they added Stefon Diggs, his completion percentage went up significantly and he became the number one QB in fantasy.
That is WITHIN the range of outcomes for Hurts this year. I declared Hurts my Fantasy Ride or Die this year on the first episode of the Fantasy Football Happy Hour (available wherever you get podcasts he promoted slyly). With a great offensive line and great schedule, I don’t understand why Hurts is currently going as QB7 or QB8 in most Yahoo drafts. I have Hurts as my QB4 this year. Let’s ride.
