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Sproles Underappreciated By Most, But Fantasy Owners On Board
Written By Bob Harris | fantasy football | Posted 21-Sep-14 @ 0:38 PT
As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith pointed out, Darren Sproles has been underappreciated throughout his football career.

Smith added, "Maybe that changed after his fantastic performance on Monday night, but probably not. ..."

It certainly changed for fantasy owners.

Sproles, who in leading the Eagles to a win over the Colts last Monday night became the first player ever to top 150 receiving yards, 25 rushing yards and 25 punt return yards in the same game, thinks he may have proven some people wrong if they believed before that game that he was slowing down at age 31.

“It’s just telling some people that I still have it,” Sproles told Philly.com. “It’s still me. That’s the reason I do it.”

To see how underappreciated Sproles has been, Smith asked readers to consider the following points:

  • Sproles has never been selected to a Pro Bowl — not even the year he set the NFL’s all-time record for total yards in a season. As noted by Philly.com, Sproles has more all-purpose yards than any player since he entered the NFL in 2005, and every other player in the top 10 in all-purpose yards since 2005 has been to at least two Pro Bowls.

  • Sproles lasted until the fourth round of the NFL draft despite an All-American career at Kansas State and an insanely impressive Combine workout that showed off not just his good speed and agility but incredible upper-body strength: He managed 23 reps on the 225-pound bench press, a stronger showing than many big, powerful NFL running backs including Marshawn Lynch (20 reps) and Steven Jackson (16 reps).

  • After four excellent seasons with the Chargers, they let him walk. After three excellent seasons with the Saints, they traded him for a fifth-round draft pick.

    The Eagles are the beneficiaries of that. Chip Kelly has raved about Sproles not only for what he does in games but for his work ethic, calling him, “the most fit guy on the team.”

    As Smith summed up, "The Eagles may be the first team that really appreciates how much Sproles has to offer."

    Fantasy owners are close on their tail.