Is Miles Sanders playing today against the Buccaneers?

Miles Sanders has been dealing with a broken hand and has not played since Week 16 as a result. What is his status ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles’ all-important Wild Card matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and can he be used in playoff fantasy football formats?

Update 01/16/22: The Eagles have officially announced that Miles Sanders would be active for their game against the Buccaneers. To see the complete list of inactives, make sure to check out our NFL Wild Card Round Inactives.

Is Miles Sanders playing against the Bucs tonight?

Sanders left the Eagles’ win over the Giants in Week 16 with a hand injury. Further examination determined his hand was broken, and he missed Philadelphia’s two subsequent games. He returned to practice this week, albeit on a limited basis, and he has been removed from the injury list. Sanders will play against the Bucs.

The Eagles know that they will need all the star power they have if they want to take down the reigning Super Bowl champions. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are facing some running back problems of their own, with Leonard Fournette only participating in limited practices this week and Ronald Jones already ruled out.

How has Sanders performed so far this season?

The time Sanders missed due to the hand injury marks his second extended absence this season. He suffered had an ankle injury in Week 7, which caused him to miss three contests. Although injuries might have disrupted his season, he has enjoyed a pretty good year. The problem is, Sanders hasn’t found the end zone.

The Eagles RB has 754 yards on 137 carries this season. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry, the highest average he’s managed so far in his professional career. The fact that he hasn’t scored a touchdown is likely the result of playing alongside Jalen Hurts. Philadelphia has found a system that works for them, with Hurts using his legs far more often than he has in the past. Sanders’ fantasy managers won’t love it, but it’s working for the Eagles.

Fantasy expectations for Sanders

Sanders finished as the RB16 and RB22 in his first two seasons in the NFL, respectively. But this year, he dropped all the way down to RB42.

Of course, his injury issues have contributed to that, but there is a concern about just how far Sanders’ production can go in Philly — especially with Hurts carrying the ball 90 times himself. Hurts generated 784 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. You have to think that each time Hurts strode into the end zone, the eyes of Sanders’ fantasy managers started to twitch.

Sanders could be a buy-low option in dynasty leagues, especially if you think he could get more involved in Philadelphia’s offense next season. But it doesn’t seem like Hurts is going anywhere soon.