49ers vs. Eagles: Top Fantasy Bets, Predictions for 2023 NFC Championship
Jalen Hurts and Christian McCaffrey have been two of the most reliable fantasy players and NFL stars to bet on this season.
The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and San Francisco 49ers running back face what is potentially their toughest assignments in the 2023 NFC Championship Game on Sunday.
Hurts has to go up against a ferocious 49ers pass rush, led by Nick Bosa, that could keep him contained in the pocket.
McCaffrey is facing a Philadelphia front seven that constantly gets into the backfield. The big runs we are used to seeing from the star running back could dry up inside Lincoln Financial Field.
The defensive prowess of each side will make you overthink how to play Hurts and McCaffrey on the betting market and in daily fantasy football contests.
We know both players will touch the ball at a high volume, but how much they do with those touches could be contained.
Jalen Hurts
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Jalen Hurts produced conservative numbers in the divisional round based on his lofty standards.
Hurts only threw for 154 yards, and he added 34 rushing yards. Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell shouldered the heavy load on the ground by combining for 202 yards.
The Eagles may have been reluctant to call rushing plays for Hurts because Gainwell and Sanders were playing so well, and to rest up the quarterback's injured shoulder for the battle ahead against the 49ers.
Hurts sat out Weeks 15 and 16 with a sprained shoulder. He only had 18 rushing attempts in the two games against the Giants since his return. He had 17 attempts alone in Week 14 against the Chicago Bears.
The Alabama and Oklahoma product is facing a 49ers team that ranked second in rushing defense and conceded the second-fewest total yards in the regular season.
San Francisco held the Dallas Cowboys to 76 rushing yards in the divisional round. Ezekiel Elliott did not have much of an impact on the contest before and after Tony Pollard exited with a knee injury.
Hurts seems more likely to go over his passing-yard prop compared to his rushing-yard projection. DraftKings Sportsbook set his over/unders at 250.5 passing yards and 46.5 rushing yards.
The Eagles quarterback only had five games with more than 250 passing yards this season, but he could be forced to throw more to A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and others if the 49ers take away the rushing attack.
The best way to bet Hurts on Sunday could be through his touchdown prop, which sits at +110 (bet $100 to win $110). He ran for a touchdown in four of his last five starts.
Hurts can score a touchdown from short range and still go under his rushing yard prop.
As for DFS contests, Hurts could be used in a lineup stack with Brown, Smith, Sanders or Dallas Goedert, but Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes may be better options at quarterback because the AFC Championship Game could have more points. The Bengals and Chiefs had 51 points a year ago. Each AFC participant reached the 24-point mark in their last three meetings.
Prediction: 255 passing yards, 40 rushing yards, one rushing TD
Christian McCaffrey
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Christian McCaffrey will face similar challenges as Hurts as he attempts to move the 49ers down the field.
Philadelphia conceded the third-fewest rushing yards in the NFL this season, and it held the Giants to 227 total yards in the divisional round.
McCaffrey had 154 rushing yards and 39 receiving yards in the first two rounds of this postseason.
He underperformed in the divisional round with just 35 yards on 10 carries and 22 yards on six catches.
The low yardage totals may be a sign of things to come against the Eagles. McCaffrey's prop totals are set at 58.5 rushing yards and 32.5 receiving yards.
McCaffrey's rushing prowess could be taken away by the Philadelphia defense if it prefers to stack the box and make Brock Purdy beat it.
Purdy will be playing in the first postseason road game of his career, and the Eagles should attempt to rattle the 2022 seventh-round pick early so that he makes more mistakes than usual.
McCaffrey could be more valuable in the passing game as a safety valve for Purdy. He filled that role in the divisional round, as he caught six of the eight balls thrown at him, but he had a small yardage total.
McCaffrey's receptions prop, which is not listed as of Saturday morning, may be the best way to bet him in case the Philadelphia defense wraps him up in the backfield.
Similar to Hurts, McCaffrey can score without breaking out for a huge yardage total. He is -125 (bet $125 to win $100) to score a touchdown.
San Francisco will rely on McCaffrey in red-zone situations, and that should make him a popular red-zone target on the ground, or through the air.
Prediction: 50 rushing yards, 6 receptions, 35 receiving yards, TD
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