Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders' Updated Fantasy Outlook for Eagles After Week 4

The Green Bay Packers entered Thursday with the NFL's No. 2 scoring defense, but the Philadelphia Eagles dropped 21 second-quarter points en route to a 34-27 win.

Eagles running backs Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders each played a part in that effort, with the former back enjoying a particularly dominant outing.

Howard amassed 115 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns, driving the Eagles offense to the upset road win.

Sanders had 72 rushing yards on 11 carries in addition to a 67-yard kickoff return.

They provided the Eagles with their best collective running game this year.

Philadelphia entered the evening with the NFL's No. 20 rushing offense, per Football Outsiders' DVOA metric. The Eagles also had the eighth-fewest rushing yards per carry.

However, that changed against a stout Packers defense, prompting the question of whether Sanders and Howard's fantasy outlooks have improved after solid showings.

A few concerns exist in regards to raising either player's fantasy stock off the bat.

As good as the Green Bay defense has performed, it has had issues stopping the run. The Packers' 4.9 yards per carry allowed entering Thursday ranked sixth-worst in the league, and Football Outsiders placed them No. 22 in run defense.

Philadelphia's upcoming slate of run defenses gets much harder: Per Football Outsiders, five of the Eagles' next six opponents are ranked in the top 11 in stopping the run. They include the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears, who entered Thursday first and third in scoring defense.

Second, Howard and Sanders are in a clear time share. Sanders had 40 touches through three games, but Howard wasn't far behind at 28.

Per Pro Football Reference, Sanders took part in 41.9 percent of his team's offensive snaps, and Howard trailed at 25.8 percent. Both players shared touches in the first half on Thursday before Howard ended up taking most of them, finishing with 18 to Sanders' 11.

Those two reasons make it difficult to trust either player as an every-week starter in season-long fantasy lineups right now, but a few signs indicate that sentiment could change.

Sanders presents some intriguing long-term upside based on a few flashes thus far: The rookie impressed last week with 73 yards on two receptions, and he followed that up with eye-opening athleticism on his kickoff return.

James Seltzer and Andrew Porter of Sports Radio WIP offered praise:

As for Howard, his passing game usage was notable after accruing just five targets through the first three weeks. If Week 4's aerial attack was a sign of things to come rather than an anomaly, then he will become a stronger asset in point-per-reception leagues.

It also helps that Howard was the team's go-to back deep in the red zone, perhaps raising his touchdown probabilities in the future.

For now, though, it's best to keep both players on the bench unless one starts assuming the lion's share of the carries on a weekly basis.

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