Fantasy Football: 10 Up-and-Coming Players to Target for Keeper Leagues

Wendell Smallwood, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Yahoo Ownership: 2%

ESPN Ownership: 2.3%

Figuring out the Eagles' backfield in 2016 is like trying to solve a 20-sided Rubik's cube -- it's virtually impossible. Doug Pederson seems to vacillate between lead backs on a week-to-week basis. Good luck trying to add the right back on your way to fantasy glory this season.

The Eagles have four running backs that all see significant playing time -- Darren Sproles, Ryan Mathews, Kenjon Barner and Wendell Smallwood -- and in Week 11, Smallwood had the hot hand. Smallwood led the running back corps with 17 touches and was productive with those touches, logging 79 yards from scrimmage -- due in large part to injuries to both Sproles and Mathews.

So far in 2016, Smallwood has only seen greater than 35% of his team's offensive snaps twice -- Week 3 against the Steelers and Week 11, as we just mentioned. In Week 3, Smallwood rushed 17 times for 79 yards and a score, and that snap count may continue to rise due to the aforementioned injuries.

Barner becomes a restricted free agent after the 2016 season, and Mathews and Sproles contracts combined are only a dead cap hit of $1 million after this year. Smallwood, meanwhile, is signed through 2019 for under $800,000 per season. Given his production and cheap price, if Smallwood gets to audition for the job the next few weeks due to injury, he may enter 2017 as the Eagles' lead back.