FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode Title: Biggest Fantasy Football Takeaways For EVERY NFC East Team (Ep. 1932)
Date: January 13, 2026
Host: Ryan Wormley
Guests: Andrew Erickson & Jake Seeley

Episode Overview

This episode kicks off the NFC East fantasy football review, spotlighting the biggest lessons learned from each team’s 2025 season and key takeaways for 2026 drafts. The crew—Ryan, Andrew, and Jake—delve into what went right, what went wrong, and where value (or risk) lies for fantasy managers moving forward, dissecting each team with practical advice, historical context, and a few laughs.

Philadelphia Eagles

Main Takeaway: Beware of Heavy Workload Regression (01:01)

Andrew Erickson:

• Strong advice not to draft a running back coming off a super-heavy workload (400+ touches), especially over age 27.
• Used Saquon Barkley’s 2024 campaign as the cautionary tale for 2025, noting efficiency drop-off and suspecting possibly undisclosed injuries.
• Quote:

  “You don't draft that guy the next year. So Christian McCaffrey, 413 touches… Not going to be drafting Christian McCaffrey most likely in 2026.” (01:01)

Contextualizing the "Curse of Touches" (02:14)

Jake Seeley:

• Pushes back on hard-and-fast “touch curse” thresholds (370, 400, etc.), emphasizing that career years rarely repeat, and fading such players is more nuanced.
• The Eagles’ 2025 offensive decline was a multifaceted team collapse: Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith all regressed, plus key O-line injuries (Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce) destabilized the whole unit.
• Not a full fade for high-volume players like McCaffrey but acknowledges the risk.
• Quote:

  “People don’t repeat career years... where I tongue-in-cheek jokingly say is, I didn’t know this curse was going to make Jalen Hurts have his worst season as a starter, A.J. Brown has his worst season as an Eagle, Devonta Smith... and the Eagles have their worst offense since 2021.” (02:54)

QB Volatility & Hurts' Future Value (05:25)

Jake Seeley:

• Warns that QBs relying heavily on rushing TDs (like Hurts) have high weekly and seasonal volatility. Hurts’ passing was consistent, but the TD decline sunk his fantasy value.
• Jalen Hurts as early QB6 for 2026 seems “about right” to both Jake and Andrew.
• Quote:

  “Rushing quarterbacks... you’re gonna get more volatility. They rely so much on the touchdowns as it isn’t the consistent rushing.” (06:11)

Dallas Cowboys

Main Takeaway: Trust the Opportunities, Not Just the Talent (06:55)

Andrew Erickson:

• Preseason skepticism about Javonte Williams’ ability to return to form, but logic dictated targeting him due to the clear starting opportunity in Dallas.
• Dallas did not invest significant resources into other RBs; even if Williams had question marks, the job was clearly his to lose.
• Quote:

  “The thesis of the bet was he has the potential to be the starting running back on the Dallas Cowboys offense and his ADP is outside the top 30... you draft a running back as an RB30 and then he turns into a low-end RB1 in 2025.” (07:41)

Pay Attention to Team Moves (09:27)

Jake Seeley:

• Emphasizes the importance of reading team signals: Dallas replaced Rico Dowdle with Williams, drafted only a late-round RB (Jayden Blue), and added no serious competition.
• Warns fantasy managers not to overthink or overproject their own opinions or “talent crushes” onto backfields—let the team tell the story.
• Quote:

  “The team told us Javonte Williams is the lead unless something goes wrong... Even as you said, like RB25, like we should have been targeting him even more.” (10:38)

Washington Commanders

Main Takeaway: Caution on Holdout Players & Buying the 2026 Dip (13:27)

Andrew Erickson:

• Advises “buyer beware” on players with offseason contract holdouts—historically suffer injury or fail to sustain outlier production (Terry McLaurin and his big 2024 TD spike).
• Highlights roster construction flaws (aging supporting cast around Jaden Daniels) and foresees a correction.
• Despite McLaurin’s production drop, he maintained elite yards per route—thus now presents a 2026 “buy low.”
• Quote:

  “When these guys have their contracts hold out into the offseason… their production is not sustainable... Terry McLaurin averaged a career high in yards per route run in 2025.” (14:16)

2026 Buy Low Opportunities Across the Team (17:14)

Jake Seeley:

• Sees significant rebound potential for Jaden Daniels (if healthy) due to his high rushing floor and new coaching situation (potential end of Kingsbury’s schemes).
• McLaurin’s statistical floor as mid-tier WR2 with room for TD-driven upside; Jaquori Krosky-Merritt (RB) likewise could leap in value if he wins the backfield—especially with minimal competition.
• Willing to rank McLaurin above consensus if healthy.
• Quote:

  “If he gets those touchdowns back from two years ago, then he’s back in play as a top 10 [WR]... there are so many volatile WR2s... Jaquori Krosky-Merritt falls into this buy-low too because people were too early on.” (18:30)

New York Giants

Main Takeaway: Jackson Dart Has Star Upside—But Beware Price & Regression (20:56)

Andrew Erickson:

• Jackson Dart is in line for a “Drake Maye-level leap” in fantasy—had terrific efficiency as a rookie despite poor support, flashed major rushing upside (over 40 yds/game).
• Notes 9 rushing TDs in 13 games might not be sustainable, and pending coaching changes could alter usage.
• Quote:

  “Jackson Dart’s going to be a star in fantasy.” (22:16)

Prospects and Peril of Dart’s Skyrocketing Price (23:29)

Jake Seeley:

• Cautions that market hype may cause Dart's ADP to soar excessively (already QB7 in early ranks).
• High risk if forced into “mid-round” range with little discount—even if the upside is real.
• Compares his injury risk to physical runners like Cam Newton, noting that coaching often fails to curb risky play.
• Quote:

  “That’s the risk with Dart is because he takes so much contact... like, that’s the risk with Dart... but I agree... he could be next year’s Drake Maye.” (24:32)

Backfield Turmoil: Fantasy Trap Alert (25:15)

Jake Seeley:

• Calls the Giants’ RB situation a “trap backfield”—Scatterboo, Tracy, and Singletary all split work unpredictably, frustrating managers and limiting upside.
• Would rather shoot for opportunity clarity (like Javonte in Dallas) than get “trapped” by timeshare ambiguity.
• Quote:

  “Timeshare backfields are just a nightmare for us in fantasy, unfortunately… You get trapped into like using them more than you want to and it’s so tough to move away from them.” (25:45)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Jake Seeley on RB Touch Thresholds:

  "Tired because it’s 370, it’s 400, it’s 420. Like, pick a damn number... It’s just an added risk but it’s not going to make me full fade somebody." (02:18)

• Andrew Erickson on Coaching Changes:

  "Seems like the Eagles actually have a new play caller every single year." (04:18)

• Ryan Wormley on Losing Value:

  "Drake Maye was going as the QB15. Dart is going to be going inside the top 10 in the early rankings. QB7..." (22:27)

• Laugh-out-loud Moment:

  "Javonte makes people crazy. We’ll see if you can remember while I tell everybody about the fantasy football championship belt..." – (12:18, Ryan transitions to promo after Jake blanks)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Eagles RB Workload/Touches Regression: 01:01 – 05:22
• Jalen Hurts/Rushing QB Volatility: 05:25 – 06:50
• Cowboys RB Opportunity (Javonte Williams): 06:55 – 11:07
• Listen to the Team's Signals (FA/Draft moves): 09:27 – 12:59
• Commanders Holdouts & “Buy Low” Case: 13:27 – 19:43
• Giants/Dart’s Upside, RB Timeshare Woes: 20:56 – 26:44

Summary Table: 2026 “Buy/Sell” Signals

| Team | Key Player(s) | Takeaway | 2026 Outlook | |----------|------------------------------|------------------------------------|-------------------------------| | Eagles | Barkley, McCaffrey, Hurts | Beware heavy workload regression; Hurts volatile | Soft fade Barkley/McCaffrey at cost; Hurts still QB1 tier but with volatility | | Cowboys | Javonte Williams | Chase opportunity, not “talent crush” | Solid RB2 with RB1 upside if remains clear starter | | Commanders | McLaurin, Krosky-Merritt | Holdout risk/TD regression; buy bounceback | McLaurin strong WR2 value, Krosky-Merritt RB2 if situation unchanged | | Giants | Jackson Dart, RBs (Scatterboo) | Dart has massive upside but price risk; messy backfield | Cautious on draft cost for Dart, avoid ambiguous RBs unless depth chart clears |

Final Thoughts

This fast-paced NFC East deep dive equips fantasy managers with actionable insights as they prep for 2026. Heavy workloads and coaching changes loom large in Philadelphia; Dallas (finally) offers opportunity clarity at RB; Washington's battered stock screams “buy low”—especially if injuries subside; and New York’s rookie QB has all the tools but might prove too costly as the hype machine turns. Watch the backfield traps, read the tea leaves from teams’ offseason moves, and you’ll be ahead of the pack.

For more divisional recaps, subscribe and stay tuned throughout the week!