Le'Veon Bell Week 5 Fantasy Outlook Hurt by Matchup Against Philadelphia Eagles Run Defense

Le'Veon Bell started his career with the New York Jets on a good note, totaling 92 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in Week 1. While he has remained effective in the receiving game, Bell went scoreless in his two subsequent games while struggling to do much on the ground.

Coming off a Week 4 bye, Bell draws a brutal matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs through four weeks, as they have yet to allow a RB to exceed 44 yards on the ground. Oddly enough, those 44 yards came from J.D. McKissic's lone carry in Philadelphia's Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Bell has done very little as a rusher in his first three games, carrying the ball 56 times for 163 yards (2.9 yards per carry). A big part of Bell's struggles could be tied to the Jets schedule, as they have faced three tough defenses in the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.

Bell has also been negatively impacted by playing without his starting quarterback over the past two games, as Sam Darnold has been out battling mononucleosis. The Jets are hopeful Darnold can return in Week 5, but he's far from a sure thing.

While Bell's struggles on the ground could continue against Philadelphia, he's still a viable fantasy play thanks to his heavy involvement in the passing game.

Bell can salvage his day with a heavy target dose, as Philly has given up nice receiving lines to backs like Chris Thompson (seven catches for 68 yards), Devonta Freeman (three for 42) and Aaron Jones (six for 37).

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