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Fantasy Football Target Practice: The 2026 Philadelphia Eagles
Jun 7, 2026Vernon MeighanThe Fantasy Footballers
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As an Eagles fan, I can honestly say that the Kevin Patullo version of the offense was a dumpster fire in the context of the roster talent. Philadelphia enters 2026 with designs on establishing a brand-new identity that promises to overhaul the passing game. The trade of A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots leaves a massive 127-target vacancy at the top of the receiving hierarchy. Philadelphia hired Sean Mannion as Offensive Coordinator to architect this offensive transition from a slow, “bully-ball” isolation passing game into a highly structured, McVay/Shanahan-style wide-zone and play-action system built on pre-snap motion and tight timing. For fantasy managers, this creates a fascinating projection environment, but there is a critical linchpin for Eagles fantasy assets. Can Jalen Hurts —traditionally an out-of-structure, boundary-throwing QB—excel in a scheme that requires rapid processing over the middle of the field? Let’s break down the passing pie and find the value. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images 1. The Passing Pie: 2026 Offensive Volume We are projecting a balanced, play-action-heavy passing tree of 520 total pass attempts (roughly 30.6 attempts per game). Full transparency: this is also a projected increase in pass attempts, closer to Hurts’ previous career-high 538 pass attempts in 2023. The hope is that the new offense will outperform that version. 2026 Projected Passing Pie: 520 Pass Attempts [████████████████████████] DeVonta Smith (140 Targets) [██████████████] Makai Lemon (82 Targets) [████████████] Dallas Goedert (70 Targets) [██████████] Saquon Barkley (60 Targets) [█████████] Marquise Brown / Wicks (55 Targets) [████████] Eli Stowers (45 Targets) [████████] Rotational WRs/TEs/RBs (68 Targets) The Infrastructure Foundation Hurts will operate behind the #4-ranked offensive line in the NFL, boasting a 74.1 unit pass-blocking grade . Anchored by Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, this elite protection gives Hurts the clean pocket required to execute slower-developing play-action shots as a change-up to the staple rhythm and timing jabs expected in West Coast-style offenses. An underlying factor of the new incoming scheme is the expectation of more under-center formations. Why is this important? Last season, the Eagles were undoubtedly better operating under center. Last season’s Week 14 loss to the Chargers was the ultimate microcosm of the difference. The Eagles’ shotgun plays outnumbered the under-center plays 29-8. However, on those 29 plays, they averaged 2.9 yards per rush and 3.4 per pass. Conversely, under-center plays averaged 22.0 yards per pass and 9.4 yards per run. The thought is that the new scheme will bring a higher percentage of under-center looks , making the offense less predictable. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images 2. The Target Beneficiaries: Capability x Infrastructure DeVonta Smith : The Uncontested Alpha WR1 Expected Scheme Fit: Move “Z” / Alpha “X” (The Cooper Kupp / Puka Nacua role) 2026 Projection: 140 Tgts | 26.9% Tgt Share | 97 Recs | 1,310 Yds | 8 TDs | 276 FPts | ~WR5-6 The Optimism: Smith is not Puka nor Kupp in his build as a run-blocker, but he has been an elite separator and processor since college. In Mannion’s system, heavy pre-snap motion will routinely free him from press coverage, enabling Smith to maximize the offense’s timing element with his precise route-running. WR IQ is of extreme importance in West Coast-style schemes, and Smith has that in spades. The evidence is al…