Philadelphia Eagles - Fantasy News

2018 Super Bowl DFS Picks: Jake Elliott

by Aaron Bowers

1/31/18

NFL

Philadelphia Eagles

Jake Elliott

Nearly out of the league when he was cut by the Cincinnati Bengals, Jake Elliott latched on with the Philadelphia Eagles after an injury to Caleb Sturgis in the first game of the season. He didn’t waste much time making an impact, nailing a 61-yard field goal at the end of regulation to beat the New York Giants in just his second game with the team.

Since that kick against the Giants, Elliott has hit 23 of 26 field goal attempts, ensuring that he’ll kick in the league for at least one more season. With Sturgis due back next year, Elliott will look to use Super Bowl LII as an audition for his next contract.

Why Should I Start Jake Elliott?

Elliott has scored more than 8.5 Dober Fantasy Points in 10 of 17 games played this season. Though he hit a lull in the middle of the year, his field goal attempts picked up significantly once Nick Foles took over at quarterback. In the four full games Foles has played, Elliott has attempted nine field goals and 11 extra points. With Foles starting, the Philadelphia offense has significantly less punch to it, leaving plenty of drives that stall out within Elliott’s considerable range.

New England plays a brand of bend-but-don’t-break defense that is conducive to giving up field goal attempts. While the Eagles know they aren’t going to beat Tom Brady with three points on drives, there will probably be a couple of opportunities for Elliott to make kicks to keep the Eagles in the game.

Though there isn’t a large sample size saying that Elliott is better indoors than outdoors (Philadelphia has played only two games indoors all season), most kickers perform better when they are protected from the elements. Super Bowl LII will be played in the friendly confines of U.S. Bank Stadium, giving Elliott one less thing to worry about when attempting kicks.

Why Should I Bench Jake Elliott?

Though Elliott has shown to be an effective kicker, he is largely untested in high-pressure situations. Apart from the game-winning kick against the Giants, he didn’t attempt a single game-winning or game-tying kick at the end of a game all season. Now that he’s playing on the biggest stage in the world, it’s hard to know how the rookie from Memphis will respond.

While Elliott has hit a high percentage of field goals this season, he is only four of seven (57 percent) from 30-39 yards and has missed three extra points from 33 yards out this year. For whatever reason, he struggles from that distance. And while Dober doesn’t penalize missed extra points, it could be a mental factor if Elliott misses a chance from that range early in the game.

Should I Make Jake Elliott a Super Bowl LII Fantasy Starter?

Yes. This isn’t going to be a 17-14 slugfest, though Philadelphia would certainly prefer that result. There are going to be a lot of points scored in this game by both sides. We expect two to three field goal attempts out of Elliott with a few extra points mixed in. Indoors, even on a big stage, the rookie with ice in his veins should deliver more than 8.5 DFP.

Super Bowl LII Fantasy Prediction: Jake Elliott Over 8.5 DFPs