Jalen Hurts Out With Blood Clot: Fantasy Football Impact and Outlook

We have another quarterback who is going to miss time, adding to a long list of guys already banged up or who have missed games.

Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts is going to miss Week 6, at least. Let's discuss what's going on with him, how fantasy football managers should react and then the outlook for all the other Eagles.

Fantasy football injury news can be found all season on FantasySP.

Hurts Out with Blood Clot

Hurts has a superficial blood clot in his calf, according to a team release on Thursday.

The statement said that Hurts first reported the issue on Oct. 8 after being cleated in the team's Week 4 loss. He received treatment and was added to the team's Week 5 injury report just a couple of days before that game, but made the trip to London and started for Philly.

A “superficial” blood clot was revealed a day before the team's game in London, but the team's medical staff determined that Hurts could safely play that game.

A follow-up exam on Wednesday said that the blood clot showed movement, leading to the team's decision to shut him down for Week 6.

We don't know his long-term outlook, or when he might be cleared to play again, so things are super murky from a fantasy perspective.

Hurts' Outlook

In the first five games of the year, Hurts completed just 57.8% of his passes for 933 yards and eight touchdowns, while tossing three interceptions. He rushed 23 times for an additional 107 yards and a touchdown.

There's no denying that it's been a slow start to the year for Hurts, and the Eagles overall. Injured stars around him definitely didn't help the quarterback's cause.

Now, we don't know when Hurts will return, and despite his struggles so far, not having him out there is a huge blow to the Eagles' chances of getting rolling this season.

Hurts is someone to stash on an IR spot, unless you already have a notable fantasy asset there. Then, you might need to stash Hurts at the end of your fantasy bench, or drop him.

Hurts can be a good fantasy asset when healthy, but without knowing his long-term outlook, it might be time to drop him. It's a harsh reality in the fantasy world, while in the real world, we just hope for a full recovery and that he can continue playing at some point.

I'd hold Hurts at least one week to see if we get a better idea of his outlook moving forward.

This is a blow to Hurts' dynasty value as well. He's 28 years old, so he should have several years of playing ahead of him, but we'll have to see how things transpire from here. Stash him on an IR spot or at the end of your bench for the time being.

Eagles' Outlook

Andy Dalton is the only other quarterback who has played for Philly this season, and he's no longer on the active roster.

Tanner McKee and Cole Payton are the QBs on the active roster. There's no other quarterbacks on the practice squad, so expect Philly to make a move very soon to get more depth in that room.

No starting QB has been named at this point, and we'll have to wait to see who the Eagles turn to. The Week 6 starter might not even be on the roster right now, which is wild to say, but this is a unique circumstance, so we'll see how the team proceeds.

Saquon Barkley is one of three running backs currently banged up, and DeVonta Smith is a wideout who has been out a few weeks already. The Eagles have been decimated by injuries all year, and it makes things look very bleak right now, especially with the top quarterback being out.

Philly plays Carolina in Week 6. The Panthers offer an above-average matchup to whoever starts at quarterback. I wouldn't feel very confident using whoever the Eagles name as the starting QB, even if they bring back Dalton. 

Carolina is a very favorable test for running backs too. With three guys hurt or out, Dameon Pierce could end up starting. I ranked Barkley or Pierce as the No. 17 fantasy back in my top-30 rankings for Week 6. I'd probably drop them a few more spots with Hurts now out.

The Panthers are very tough on fantasy wide receivers. Smith would be the best option if he's active, but the team might play things safe with him now that so many others are out too. Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon and Darius Cooper are some lower-level fantasy options who would get an uptick if Smith is out again. Down Hurts now, I'd only want to start those guys in deeper fantasy setups, and I'd do my best to avoid them in the tough matchup.

Carolina is a favorable matchup on tight ends, so things are somewhat promising for Dallas Goedert, at least. He's the only pass catcher, outside Smith, that I'd want to start in a standard league this week, and his outlook just got worse with the Hurts' news.

This is an evolving situation, and something we'll have to keep in mind until Hurts is back or we have a clear idea of who is leading the offense and if they are capable of propping up other fantasy players. 

For now, I'd recommend staying away from most of the Eagles' fantasy assets.