NFC East Training Camp Update

Training camp for 2023 kicked off at the end of July, and as usual, the fantasy community is scrutinizing every aspect of the teams. In the NFC East, while most lineups are pretty set, there are a few newcomers making splashes onto the scene. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Coming off their trip to the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles did their best to retain the talent from the team that took them almost to the end. But of course, you can alway improve. 

On draft night, the Eagles made a spicy new addition to their team when they traded multiple picks to the Detroit Lions for D’Andre Swift, after signing Rashaad Penny to a one-year deal back in March. The Eagles love splitting a backfield, so expect the two to share some time, but the Eagles do have Swift running more with the first team. 

Swift’s current ADP is 69, while Penny is down to 104. It may be worth spending up to draft Swift with his pass-catching ability. In 2022, he saw a total of 70 targets from a lackluster offense. The team wants to pass the ball to the running back more and Swift would be the perfect option. 

As for the rest of the offense, expect the team to run through AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. They did add Olamide Zaccheaus to the mix on a one-year deal, but he would only have fantasy relevance barring injury. We know this team will do well fantasy-wise, so plan to splurge a little on the splashy names on the team. Then again, they could win you a fantasy championship like Jalen Hurts did for me last year. 

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys traveled to their usual training camp spot in Oxnard, CA with a big following in tow. The biggest question coming into the off-season was how would Tony Pollard fare as the true number-one back, and how would the new receivers pair with CeeDee Lamb and his target share.

After suffering an injury in January, Pollard has spent the off-season rehabbing. Thankfully, his injury is not hurting his fantasy draft stock at all. He is currently being drafted as the RB7, and 17 overall – and rightfully so. 

The pass-catchers for the Cowboys are ramping up as well. Jalen Tolbert has been the talk of the camp, making some spectacular catches with defender Stephon Gilmore hanging all over him. Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks are progressing as well. And while rookie tight end Luke Schoonmaker has only had one day of practice, second-year tight end Jake Ferguson has stood out as the TE1 for the team. Ferguson’s current ADP is TE30 and 242 overall. He could be a steal in the late rounds of drafts and will soak up some of the targets left behind by Dalton Schultz. 

New York Giants

The New York Giants are coming off a third-place finish in the NFC East, but they added some firepower to their offense. The name all over social media right now is Jalin Hyatt. His entire training camp tape has been catch after amazing catch. The coaching staff is very high on the rookie, and expects for him to see significant playing time in his first year. 

His current ADP is 167, or 58 overall. With the other wide receiver options for the Giants being an inconsistent Darius Slayton and the oft-injured Sterling Shepard, there is no risk associated with drafting Hyatt in the late rounds, especially if the coaching staff is this high on him. 

The newest addition to this offense is Darren Waller, the former tight end for the Raiders. So far during camp, he has had a great rapport with quarterback Daniel Jones. Expect Waller to be a tier 1 tight end this season, and have his comeback with the Giants. Saquon Barkley of course rounds out this offense, after just signing a 1-year deal instead of the franchise tag. Barkley is still being drafted in the top 10, and he finished 6th in 2022.

Oh, did we also mention that the defense has been making some incredible plays lately?

And let’s not forget the latest one-handed strip during the Giants-Lions joint practice.

Washington Commanders (if that’s still their name)

Now we come to the more uncertain of the teams in the NFC East. The Washington Commanders finished in last place in the NFC East but were at least above the .500 mark for the season. With a new offensive coordinator in Eric Bieniemy coming aboard, they hope to generate a more effective offense this year. 

And to take the reins for the new regime is second-year quarterback Sam Howell. After a failed Carson Wentz experiment in 2022, Howell started one game for the Commanders. And it wasn’t pretty. So far in training camp, Howell has struggled with the new offense. Luckily, he gets to toss the ball to Terry McLaurin. 

While Howell will be on your waivers, McLaurin’s current ADP is WR24, and 48 overall. With the uncertainty of Howell’s QB play and a potential switch to Jacoby Brissett at some point, some may not want to pay the price for McLaurin at that ADP. Jahan Dotson, whose ADP is ~25 spots lower, is the second wide receiver option on the team and according to the coaches, has really stood out so far in camp. 

Curtis Samuel and Logan Thomas have both been hurt most of camp, which will hurt their draft stock. As for the running back room, the time has been split between Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr. Gibson is being featured as the pass-catching back, which helps his fantasy stock immensely. 

NFC East Training Camp Conclusion

This looks to be an exciting division once again, with the Eagles most likely taking the lead. There is a good mix of veterans with a new team, such as Darren Waller, Brandin Cooks, and D’Andre Swift, coupled with exciting rookies, like Jalin Hyatt. Look for the quarterbacks to be some of the best in the NFC, with Hurts towering over them all. No matter how the dominoes fall, the NFC East will definitely put up some major fantasy points this season!