Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have been in fine form, winning six of their last seven games. As a result, their place in the playoffs has already been secured, and they will likely enter the postseason as the No. 7 seed. Will Hurts play tonight against the Cowboys, and what can fantasy football managers expect from him if he suits up?

Update: In somewhat of a surprising twist, Jalen Hurts is inactive for the Eagles’ Week 18 game. The information below was written earlier today when the thought was that Hurts would be active.

Is Jalen Hurts playing tonight vs. the Cowboys?

In a similar fashion to Dak Prescott, the belief is that Hurts will be active tonight. That means we could see him play four quarters, but we could also see him play one drive. The general feeling coming from reporters is that we will see more of Gardner Minshew than we will of Hurts.

These Week 18 scenarios make it very difficult to predict how much game time starting quarterbacks will get. That’s especially true for teams that have already clinched playoff berths.

Hurts is a fierce competitor, and he will, of course, want to be on the field. But it’s important to take calculated risks in these situations. The only reason to allow Hurts to play much of the contest is to keep him ready for next week’s Wild Card round.

Even if the Eagles win tonight’s game, there’s a chance it won’t affect their position. Their final standing (as either the sixth or seventh seed) ultimately depends on what the 49ers and Saints do in Week 18. One of those two teams will make the playoffs alongside the Eagles — the other will not.

Take a look at Gardner Minshew

To me, it makes perfect sense to allow Gardner Minshew to play the majority of tonight’s game. When Hurts missed the New York Jets contest in Week 13, Minshew stepped in and did an excellent job. His 242-yard, 2-touchdown performance against the Jets reignited some of the belief that he is a potential starting quarterback in the NFL.

If Minshew were to play well, the Eagles would know a little more about what they have in their backup QB. A good outing for Minshew means his trade value would increase, as would the Eagles’ belief that they have a viable option on the bench.

Jalen Hurts’ fantasy outlook

Hurts has been a consistent point scorer this year, despite not having a wealth of passing touchdowns. He ranks as the QB8 on the season, just one spot ahead of Prescott.

Hurts’ unique ability to run the ball has resulted in his fantasy totals being very strong from week to week. He leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards. Hurts has 784 yards rushing on 139 attempts, with 10 touchdowns on the ground. That’s a solid season for a starting running back.

We’ll see how much playing time Hurts gets against the Cowboys, but the Week 18 game simply doesn’t mean all that much for the Eagles. If it becomes clear Minshew will take the majority of the snaps, he becomes an intriguing starter in Week 18 and for DFS on Saturday.