Why LeSean McCoy Is Poised for Huge Fantasy Comeback

The last two weeks haven't been smooth for Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy or his fantasy owners.

Taken with one of the top picks in just about every fantasy draft, McCoy was a productive tailback in the first two weeks, racking up 115 yards from scrimmage in Week 1 against Jacksonville and then 102 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown at Indianapolis in Week 2.

Those are the kind of numbers one would normally associate with the man they call "Shady."

The last two weeks? Completely different story, as outlined by NFL on ESPN's twitter account:

To make matters worse, McCoy hasn't caught a ball in his team's games against Washington or San Francisco either.

Last year, he was seventh among all running backs in receiving yards, per NFL.com. This year he ranks 25th.

Reuben Frank of CSN Philadelphia and Jeff Skversky of WPVI-TV in Philly point out the rarity of McCoy's woes:

Yet there is still reason to believe that McCoy will be a top running back, even if the offensive line in the City of Brotherly Love isn't the sturdiest.

Here's why McCoy is poised for a major rebound fantasy-wise in the next few weeks.

Upcoming Opposition

Tom Gannam/Associated Press/Associated Press

Before you rush to sell McCoy in your leagues, consider the teams he'll be matched up against in the coming weeks.

Even if Philadelphia's offensive line continues to struggle, there is the distinct possibility that McCoy could have some big games, simply because his opposition isn't very good at stopping the run.

In their next seven weeks, the Eagles square off with five clubs that find themselves 22nd or worse in the league at stopping the run: St. Louis, Houston, Carolina, Green Bay and Tennessee, per NFL.com. Those five teams are also 23rd or worse against the pass as well, giving McCoy another outlet to gain some fantasy points.

The other two teams during that stretch are the Giants and Cardinals, both among the top 10 against the run this season. That means in his next seven games, McCoy will go up against as many top-10 run defenses as he has in the last two weeks—the 49ers are the second-best team in the league at stopping the run, while the Redskins are eighth in that department.

Plus, as Sports Illustrated's lead fantasy writer Michael Beller pointed out to fans in a Q&A session on Twitter, McCoy has earned the trust of fantasy owners and could receive a boost when suspended tackle Lane Johnson returns to the offensive line this week against the Rams:

The fact that Shady will have played four of the top five run-stopping defenses in the league and be off on a bye (Week 7) in the upcoming stretch means he may have a few rough patches. By no means, however, should you look to trade him away.

Philadelphia's Game Plan

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

The other reason to believe that McCoy will break out of this mini-slump is the team's game plan.

This is an up-tempo offense that runs a lot of plays and racks up plenty of yardage. Even with Week 4's dismal 217 total yards, Philly's offense ranks 10th in the league at over 367 yards per game, per NFL.com.

To say McCoy is an integral part of that offense would be an understatement.

His combined 29 touches the last two weeks seems more of an anomaly than anything. As Anita Marks of Bleacher Report notes, that low number of touches has a lot to do with Philadelphia being forced to pass after falling behind early in previous games:

ESPN's Eric Karabell also talks about the fact that McCoy plays for a very smart offensive coach in Chip Kelly.

More screen passes should help McCoy—along with the currently struggling Darren Sproles—pick up some cheap yards and open up more possibilities for a potent Eagles offense.

The fact that McCoy is also seen as one of the better blocking backs in the league could also help to ensure he doesn't lose too many more touches to Sproles.   

As Karabell mentioned, McCoy may not be a top-five fantasy running back right now, but he's still among the top 10, meaning he's definitely worth keeping—barring some sort of ridiculous too-good-to-turn-down trade offer.

There may be some bumps along the way—the Cardinals and Giants in the next few weeks, specifically—but with a few adjustments on offense and a series of favorable opponents coming up for Philadelphia, McCoy is on the verge of vaulting you right back to the top of your fantasy league.

Jon Reid is a correspondent for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on twitter @JonReidCSM.