Philadelphia Eagles - Fantasy News

Super Bowl LII DFS Picks: Corey Clement

by Derek Norton

1/30/18

NFL

Philadelphia Eagles

Corey Clement

The Philadelphia Eagles have had several different Dober-relevant running backs throughout the season.

After LeGarrette Blount, Darren Sproles and Wendell Smallwood had their time to shine, the reins briefly went to Corey Clement. The results weren’t all bad, as he had a couple of 50-yard games and a three-touchdown effort against Denver.

But after the Jay Ajayi trade, Clement hasn’t been much of a factor in Philadelphia’s offense. We should probably expect more of the same in the final game of the NFL season.

Why Should I Start Corey Clement?

Clement has been efficient in the red zone. Though most would consider Blount to be the superior red zone back, Clement’s numbers are better. Despite 20 fewer red zone carries than Blount, Clement has four touchdowns inside the 20 to Blount’s two and 60 yards to Blount’s 59.

The Wisconsin product has shown he can be a versatile weapon. He leads Philadelphia’s running backs in receiving yards (123), receiving touchdowns (two) and receptions for more than 20 yards (three). Both of his receiving scores came in the red zone, so it’s not like he just had a few big plays. He’s not a purely situational player and could surpass his projection (5.5 Dober points) with just one play from anywhere on the field.

Clement is the sort of player who could slip under the radar. The Patriots likely aren’t preparing for him in the same way that they’re readying for the likes of Ajayi and Alshon Jeffery. With less attention, he could break a big play that would help him surpass his low projection.

Why Should I Bench Corey Clement?

His touches are volatile and they’ve been more low than high lately. He has no more than six in a game since Week 11, and he has nine combined touches in Philadelphia’s two playoff wins. He won’t have many chances to make something happen unless there’s an injury.

He hasn’t gone over his Super Bowl projection much lately, either. He scored 6.1 Dober points in Philadelphia’s Divisional game against Atlanta, which was one of the two times he’s exceeded 5.5 Dober points since Week 11. His second-highest scoring game over that stretch was a 5.7 Dober point performance against the Rams in Week 13. It’s difficult to trust someone who hasn’t really come through for his owners in the second half of the season.

Further, the Patriots are going to be a difficult matchup for Philadelphia’s running backs. So far this postseason, they’ve held Derrick Henry and Leonard Fournette to a combined 36 carries for 104 yards (2.8 yards per rush) and a touchdown. The score was an outlier, seeing as they’ve allowed six total rushing touchdowns to running backs in the regular season and postseason combined. The chances of Clement getting in the end zone are slim.

Should I Make Corey Clement a Super Bowl Fantasy Starter?

No. All of Philadelphia’s running backs could struggle in this one, so it’s probably not wise to rely on the one who’s third in the pecking order. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Clement produce with the Eagles and this is not the best matchup for him. He could be intriguing as a home run play, but he’s not nearly reliable enough to count on.

Super Bowl Fantasy Prediction: Corey Clement Under 5.5 DFPs